When The Sunlight Dies
by ZTX
Summary: The Doctor is called back to the deserts of 2019 when a mysterious, metal menace begins turning Killjoys into mechanical monsters…. sequel to 'Ghosts In The Sun! Also on tumblr and AO3. Enjoy !
1. Prologue

Prologue

_"I have been waiting for you...my entire life."_

She stood in front of him, hands linked with his, and her delicate face painted like a porcelain doll. The lengthy, white train of her satin dress cascaded down the red-carpeted steps like a waterfall. Her veil was pinned in place by tiny, ivory florettes.

_"And I don't mean a girl 'like' you, I mean _you_, Bev. Just you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me."_

She giggled at that; her warm, brown eyes glittering with tears as he turned to the pastor with a cheeky grin.

_"So yeah. You bet your ass__'I do'."_

_** "Poison! Poison, wake up!"**_

** -**_**California - 2019 - September-**_

Party Poison jumped as he opened his eyes, finding himself not in a church, but instead, lying on a dry-rotting bench in the run down Diner he and his friends called 'home'.

Startled, he glanced around, idly pulling up at the scarf around his neck,

"What? What is it?"

Fun Ghoul was standing over him, a look of despair on his usually cheery face,

"It's _bad_, man..."

The red head frowned in confusion as his attention turned to the sorrowful sounding DJ chirping through their radio,

_**"...had a CLAP with an Exterminator that went all Costa Rica..."**_

~ø~

They sped through the desert; Fun Ghoul shifting uncomfortably in his seat as they made their way to Route Guano,

"Dude, slow down a little."

"No, fuck you. You don't get to tell me to slow down. Not tonight."

They peeled a little ways off the road, the headlights falling on a pair of BLI issue body bags lying beside an enormous crater.

Fun Ghoul swallowed hard as they pulled to a stop,

"There it is..."

Without a word, Party Poison threw off his seatbelt and stepped out of the car; heart growing heavy as he eyed the two sacks in despair. He shook his head as he approached them, eyes beginning to cloud with tears,

"No..."

Stepping out as well, Fun Ghoul quickly took out his raygun and glanced around,

"Careful. There could still be more out here..."

Poison ignored him and knelt down beside one of the bags; reaching up with a shaking hand to unzip it. His eyes landed on Kobra Kid's pale face and he bit his lip; bowing his head,

"_Fuck_..."

Ghoul hurriedly made his way over, his stomach dropping as he saw the body,

"Shit..."

Shaking his head, he ran his free hand through his hair and stepped over toward the crater. Glancing down into it, he frowned, raising an eyebrow curiously,

"Hey, Poison...c'mere and look at this."

Distraught and disoriented, Poison climbed to his feet and trudged over to the shorter man, a frown crossing his face,

"What the hell...?"

At the centre of the hole seemed to be a pod of somesort. It was long and silver, and all around it, the ground was littered with Draculoid masks. Fun Ghoul shook his head,

"That must be the satellite D was talking about on the radio."

"What satellite?"

The dark-haired man swallowed hard,

"The, uh...the one he asked us to check out. You were asleep so I asked Kid and Jet-"

Poison's eyes widened at this, angrily giving Fun Ghoul a shove as he shrieked,

"You, _what_!? Why the _fuck_ didn't you get me up-!?"

"Cause, dude, I didn't wanna wake you," the shorter man squeaked in defence,

"Not with...you know..."

He motioned to the scarf around Poison's neck.

With a growl, the red head readjusted it and snorted,

"That's not even the fucking point. You shoulda got me up! The four of us...they would have had a fighting chance!"

"Look, I'm sorry, okay," Ghoul began, taking a few steps back as he put his hands up,

"I was just trying to look after you, since you don't seem to wanna do that yourself!"

They both grew quiet after that.

Finally, Party Poison shook his head and coughed to clear his throat,

"Let's just take 'em home. Give 'em a proper burial."

"Yeah," Fun Ghoul agreed, sniffling softly as he wiped his nose.

As they turned to gather up their fallen friends, the two men froze; gaping in shock as they found Kobra Kid standing straight up from his body bag.

Nearby, what they assumed to be Jet Star's body bag was struggling to right itself; wriggling and writhing like a worm.

Fun Ghoul crossed himself quickly, his eyes wide as he gaped at the corpse standing before them,

"Holy _shit_-!"

Poison shook his head, his voice a soft breath as he gazed at the blonde man in wonder,

"Kid...?"

Kobra Kid's face was completely blank. He stood rigid in posture and after a moment, pointed a finger at the two of them, his eyes devoid of emotion,

**"You will be upgraded."**

The two of them quietly exchanged confused glances. Suddenly, a swarm of small, mechanical bugs poured out from Kid's body bag, and Fun Ghoul grabbed Poison by the arm,

"_Jesus-_!"

Losing his balance, he tumbled backward into the crater; dragging the neon-haired man down with him. They came to a stop at the base of the hole, Poison groaning as he pushed himself up,

"What the hell...?"

He glanced up to see that Kobra Kid was now standing at the crater's edge, glaring down at them silently. Jet Star had finally made it upright by this point and joined him at the edge; his jerking movements quite comical for a walking body bag.

Fun Ghoul shook his head, glancing over at Poison in fright,

"I-I-I don't get it, dude. D said they were _dust_! And he ain't _ever_ wrong...!"

"Well, it looks like this time, he _was_," Poison whispered; unable to look away from the sight of his friend's menacing glare.

"But how are they even alive," the shorter man squeaked frantically,

"Are they fuckin' zombies, or what!?"

A loud fizzing sounded behind them and both men spun around; quickly drawing their guns. Out from the pod stepped a man dressed in all white; a strange, metal apparatus glued to his face. He moved as robotically as Kid and Jet, his eyes just as dead,

**"You will be upgraded."**

More of these robotic men stepped out from the pod behind him, and the two men looked to each other in horror.

** -**_**Elsewhere in time and space-**_

"Well, now that that's all taken care of," the Doctor sighed as he rounded the console toward his petite companion,

"Where do you wanna go next?"

Clara shrugged as she folded her arms,

"You still haven't taken me to Vegas. Kind of got distracted by that sinking submarine."

"Ah, that's right, we did a bit, didn't we," he began, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

Wagging a finger in the air, he smirked and jogged around the console, slapping away at the controls,

"Vegas it is, then!"

The shrill ringing of a phone interrupted his thoughts and he jumped, nodding shortly to the woman,

"Clara, could you get that for me...?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, shaking her head,

"Get what?"

"The phone, get the phone."

Frowning, she rounded the console and stared at it blankly,

"You mean _this_ phone?"

"Do you see any other phones I could be referring to?"

Snorting, she shook her head,

"It's not ringing."

The Doctor frowned as he looked up at her,

"What? Of course it is! Don't you hear it?"

"No," she shook her head, picking it up from the receiver and shaking it,

"See? Not ringing."

With an annoyed growl, he marched over to her and snatched it from her hand,

"Hello?"

He paused, glancing at her nervously as he set it back down,

"So, it isn't."

The ringing sounded again and he picked it up a second time,

"Who is it!?"

She glanced around, having heard it now as well, and followed the sound toward the door,

"I think it's coming from outside."

Slapping his hand over the receiver, he turned to her in confusion,

"What's coming from outside?"

"The _ringing_," she repeated, shaking her head,

"I think it's coming from outside."

He frowned as he marched to the door and opened it, a strong burst of air meeting him as he stuck his head out into the time vortex. The ringing sounded again, much louder this time, and he rolled his eyes,

"_Again_," reaching into the box on the outside of the TARDIS, he let out an exasperated sigh,

"This one isn't even _real_...!"

He picked up the receiver and pulled it inside with him, sounding slightly exasperated as he answered,

"Hello?"

_**"Doc! We got problems!"**_

His eyes widened at the sound of the frantic voice on the other end and he leaned over, grabbing hold of the railing as he felt his legs go weak. Clara frowned at this and started toward him,

"Doctor? Are you all right?"

_**"Doc,"**_ the caller continued, his shouting getting louder as gun shots sounded in the background,

_**"I'm not fuckin' around! Get your skinny ass back here, now! We got issues!"**_

The Doctor frowned as he pulled an aged letter from his pocket, one addressed to 'Doc' and he swallowed hard. Clara stepped up to him, shaking her head in concern,

"Doctor? Who is it? Who are you talking to?"

He looked at her, eyes wide as his hearts began pounding in fear and excitement.

_**"A ghost."**_


	2. It Was A Dark And Stormy Night

**It Was A Dark And Stormy Night  
**

The TARDIS landed outside of a shabby looking Diner and the Doctor quickly jumped out, Clara trailing at his heels. The sky was dark and the wind was violent. She winced as the sand kicked up and hit her in the eye, furiously rubbing it away,

"Where are we? What is this place?"

"California! 2019."

"And _what_ are we doing here exactly?"

He swallowed hard as he stepped up to the door. With a deep breath, he went to knock; a sigh escaping him. Clara frowned as she reached him, finally having gotten the sand out of her eye,

"Doctor, what is it? What's wrong?"

He closed his eyes, hearts dropping as he whispered softly to himself,

"I shouldn't be here...I shouldn't interfere..."

Turning back to her, he shook his head; his voice soft and sorrowful,

"We...we need to go. We can't be here. This...this isn't right."

The dark-haired woman nodded; a nervous smile crossing her lips,

"Okay...let's go, then."

As he began to step forward, the door shot open behind him and a hand reached out. It grabbed him by the back of his jacket and dragged him inside. The Doctor let out a yelp as he reached for her,

"Clara!"

Clara jumped, her eyes wide in surprise as she hurried into the dark after him,

"Doctor!"

She was met with the barrel of a bright yellow gun and the angriest, hazel eyes she'd ever seen. Swallowing hard, she stepped back a few paces and took a deep breath; slowly putting her hands up,

"Doctor...?"

Quickly, the Doctor shot up from the floor and stepped between them; waving the neon-haired man down,

"Whoa! Michael, whoa! Easy! _Easy_!"

The red head swallowed hard, glancing between him and the woman,

"Who the fuck is this? Is she one of _them_!?"

"'_One of them_'," the Doctor frowned, shaking his head furiously,

"No, Michael, she's with _me_! Now, what are you talking about? One of _who_?"

"The fucking _pod people_," he shouted again, shaking the gun toward her,

"Comin' out of that crater... talkin' like the fuckin' _Borg_-"

"Doctor, _what_ is he talking about," Clara swallowed nervously, keeping an eye on the gun aimed at her head.

The Doctor stepped up to the unsettled man with a deep sigh and cautiously placed his hand over the nose of the gun,

"Just calm down, Michael. _Breathe._ Now, what is it, what's happened?"

Glaring at the woman a few seconds more, he finally lowered the gun, Clara letting out a relieved sigh as the Doctor took the weapon away from him.

The neon-haired man then began breaking down, his eyes filling with tears as he ran his hands up through his hair,

"Kid and Jet...they got Kid and Jet...and they tried to get Ghoul, but I..."

"You what," the Doctor shook his head, grabbing him gently by the shoulders,

"Michael, what did you do?"

"Poison...!"

They both turned back, the Doctor stepping around him as his eyes fell on a young girl. She was kneeling beside a small, dark-haired man; tears in her eyes as he let out a strained whimper. The Doctor straightened at the sight of his battered body, shocked at the sight of the blood and burn marks that covered his torso. There was a deep cut on the left side of his face and it bled profusely.

Poison hurried over to him and knelt down; glancing up at the Doctor with pleading eyes,

"I thought I could get it off'a him, so I...but then it..."

Ghoul let out another whimper and weakly grabbed at Poison's arm, drawing his attention.

He was in so much pain.

Clara gasped as she stepped around the Doctor to see what was happening, and lightly covered her mouth.

Turning back to the Doctor, Poison swallowed hard,

"Help him, Doc..._please. _Help him."

~ø~

Clara eyed the fiery-haired man cautiously as they sat around the console room, waiting for the Doctor to return. After a few moments, he came in from the hall, Girl rising to her feet with hopeful eyes. Wiping his hands of blood, the Doctor sighed and turned a disapproving glare to Party Poison,

"You're lucky I actually _know _my way around an operating table...any later and he would have been done for."

Poison coughed harshly as he rose to his feet, scratching idly at the houndstooth scarf around his neck,

"Is he, uh...is he gonna be okay?"

"Depends," the Doctor threw the blood-soaked towel onto the railing,

"You plan on shooting him again?"

"I didn't have a _choice_, Doc-"  
"Yes, you _did_. There's _always_ a choice."

"Oh, _really_," the man spat back, eyes narrowing to slits,

"So, leaving _**Bev and Pete **_was a _choice_, now? Is _that _what you're tellin' me?"

Clara glanced back and forth between them as silence fell over the room. The tension between them was so thick, she could have cut it with a knife.

The Doctor sighed deeply, and shaking his head, stepped over to the console.

He turned and leaned back against it, folding his arms across his chest,

"What happened, then? Don't leave anything out. And start from the _top_."

The red head nodded, his voice soft as he spoke,

"Okay..."

-ø-

_**We heard that Kid and Jet had got popped in a really bad clap out on Route Guano...Ghoul said they were checking out some kind of satellite for D. So, as per my style, I dragged him out there with me to go tan some Drac hide. But when we got there...they were already dust...or so we thought...**_

_Poison cursed as the mechanical monsters came marching toward them; grabbing Ghoul by the arm,_

_"Go! Run!"_

_The dark-haired man nodded as they ran for the other side of the crater and began climbing out; Poison firing at the robotic Dracs as they followed close behind. Reaching the top, they found themselves under attack by Kobra Kid and Jet Star, now freed from his body bag. _

_**There were these...weird bugs. They were using them to chase us down. They kept goin' on about 'upgrades'...it was fucking creepy.**_

"You will be upgraded."

_They stated in unison as he and Fun Ghoul high-tailed it back to the car. Fun Ghoul cursed as he tripped and fell to the dirt, eyes wide as the bugs began crawling up his legs,_

_"P-POISON!"_

_The fiery-haired man spun around at his friend's shout and rushed back to him, grabbing one of the bugs with his hand. It sent a strong zap through his body and Ghoul let out a pained cry; one of them latching onto his face,_

_"POISON!"_

_ He grabbed that one and tried to pull it off as well; succeeding in being shocked a second time. Fun Ghoul continued to wriggle and cry frantically, trying to pry them off himself,_

_"Get 'em off me! Get 'em off!"_

_With a deep breath, he pulled his gun up and aimed at the bug on Ghoul's face,_

_"Hold still!"_

_**The first one popped off with no problem.**_

_Ghoul winced as it cut into his cheek, swallowing hard as he kicked a few off of his legs,_

_"The other one! The other one!"_

_Aiming again, the fiery-haired man fired into the one crawling up Ghoul's stomach._

_**I must've triggered some kind of security feature.**_

_Ghoul let out a shriek as the second bug exploded, gouging a deep hole in his torso as it sent electric shocks through his body. Poison let out a shout as the force sent him flying backward, watching in horror as his friend began to violently convulse,_

_"GHOUL!?"_

_**I thought I'd killed him.**_

_As he came to a stop, the red head cautiously crawled over to him, shaking his head,_

_"Ghoul...Ghoul!?"_

_The man, unresponsive at first, let out a soft groan and gagged. With a soft sigh of relief, he grabbed Ghoul by the arm and pulled him to his feet; helping him to the car,_

_"I got ya, buddy! I got ya. Hold on!"_

_**That's when I called you.**_

~ø~

"I wasn't sure you'd show. Y'know...since it wasn't '_angel_' business."

Clara frowned as she glanced over at the Doctor,

"'Angel business'...?"

The Doctor shook his head; waving her question off as he turned to Party Poison with a scowl,

"These bugs you were talking about. What did they look like exactly? Do you remember?"

He nodded, scratching at his neck in thought,

"Yeah, um...they were long...kinda skinny. Reminded me of an ear wig."

Clara shifted uncomfortably at the mention and Poison shot her a confused look,

"You know..._Wrath of Khan_?"

The petite woman shook her head; arms folded,

"Never seen it."

A look of horror struck the fiery-haired man's face and he straightened, stammering in shock,

"You've _never_...wha-_how_. You sure know how to _pick_ 'em, Doc..."

She frowned at this, her eyebrows knitted as she pouted,

"Agh, _hey_!"

Shushing her again, the Doctor turned to her and pressed a finger to his mouth,

"Fingers on lips, Clara."

He then turned back to Poison, frowning as the man began to cough,

"These creatures...did they happen to be silver?"

Running a hand through his hair, Poison cleared his throat and nodded,

"Yeah, they looked like little machines. 'Bout the length of my hand."

"Wait a minute," Clara began, shaking her head with a sigh,

"Those sound like-"

"-Cybermites."

"Cyber-_whats_?"

The Doctor shook his head as he began pacing, letting out a sigh,

"Cybermites. Controlled by the Cybermen..."

"And _they_ are?"

"Hell bent on converting the entire human race into a cybernetic army."

He marched right up to Party Poison and took out his sonic screwdriver, waving it at his face,

"And you're sure that's what you saw? Absolutely? 100%?"

Quickly slapping the device away, Poison snorted in disgust and nodded shortly,

"Yeah, I'm fuckin' sure! What? You think I lost it or somethin'?"

The Doctor hastily checked the screwdriver, a frown tugging at his lips as he sighed deeply,

"Can't be too sure. You very nearly_ killed _your friend, after all..."

Poison shook his head at that and with a soft groan, pushed himself up from the step he sat on,

"You know what? Fuck you! I ain't gotta listen to this. If you don't wanna help, then just go, a'ight? Get the fuck outta here, and take your little _girlfriend_ with you. I ain't got time for this shit."

He motioned to Girl as he started for the door and she quickly hurried over to him,

"C'mon. Let's go."

Sighing deeply, the Doctor tiredly rubbed at his eyes,

"Michael, _wait_."

The red head turned around slowly, the Doctor silently noting how exhausted he looked.

With a deep sigh, the Doctor shook his head,

"If there are cybermites running around...then their central command must be somewhere nearby. You said there was some sort of satellite crash...?"

"Yeah. In the crater just off of Route Guano," he coughed, wiping his mouth quickly,

"Can't miss it. It's big as Texas. Well, as big as it _used_ to be, anyway..."

"All right, then," the Doctor sighed as he hurried downstairs. The three raised an eyebrow as he brought a bazooka back up to the surface with him, shoving it in Clara's direction,

"Here you go."

Clara frowned, shaking her head as she looked at it in confusion,

"I thought you didn't like guns..."

"Oh, it's not a gun, anymore, Clara," he began, tugging triumphantly at his bowtie,

"I fixed it."

"Whatcha mean 'fixed it?"

"Yeah," Poison began, raising an eyebrow as he looked it over,

"And isn't that actually _my_ gun...?"

"Not my fault you forgot to take it with you when you left," the Doctor began, turning back to Clara,

"And it's all electric now, plain and simple. More like a gigantic taser. At full power, the pulse is strong enough to knock the power out of an _entire_ city. Fire it into the command station and it should disable the bugs."

Poison nodded in thought, idly rubbing at the scarf around his neck,

"And that'll free Kid and Jet?"

"Ideally, yes," the Doctor began, handing him a small glove,

"But in the event that it doesn't, this should take care of things just as easily."

He then turned and started back up the stairs, Clara frowning and shaking her head,

"Ah...Aren't you coming?"

To this, the lanky man frowned and shook his head,

"And leave Fun Ghoul in the care of a _six-year-old_? I don't think so."

"What!? Whoa, I'm not staying with _you_," Girl protested, stepping up behind Poison with a scowl,

"I'm going, too!"

"Like hell,you are," Poison snorted, turning toward the door to leave,

"You're staying with Doc till we get this sorted out."

"Oh, what," Clara began, shaking her head as she marched over to the Doctor,

"You're sending me with _him_? I don't even _know_ him!"

"Well, then _get _to know him," the Doctor began nodding toward him with a smile,

"Make friends!"

"I don't wanna make friends, Doctor," Clara whispered, glancing back at him shortly,

"He's _weird_."

"So am _I_-"

"He aimed a gun at my face-"

"And who _hasn't-_?"

"I'm serious, Doctor," she began her voice a soft hiss as she shifted uncomfortably,

"There's something not right about him. He's just...I don't know. I don't trust him..."

"No," he began, his voice going very low at this point as he glared her right in the eyes,

"But you trust me, don't you?"

"Well, _sort of_, yeah-"

"Well," the Doctor began as he turned her around and ushered her over to the fiery-haired man; following them to the door,

"_I _trust _him_. He's a good man, Clara. One of the _bravest _I've ever known."

She bit the side of her cheek in discontent, the Doctor's face soon turning to an annoyed frown,

"And what do you mean '_sort of'-_!"

"C'mon, let's get this show on the road all ready! I ain't got all day."

Clara frowned as she glanced back at the fiery-haired man, who was already on his way out the door.

She scowled as she then turned back to the Doctor, and the lanky man smiled, putting an arm around her shoulders as he walked her to the door,

"Trust me, Clara. He's a _nice_ weirdo. You too will get on just fine."

"Somehow, I doubt that," she groaned, swinging the nose of the gun into her other hand as she started toward the car.

Girl was standing beside Party Poison as she approached, a pout on her face as he knelt down in front of her,

"Can't I come with you!? I can help! I _know_ I can-"

"No way, _José_," he shook his head, placing his hands on her shoulders,

"It ain't safe where we're goin' and I can't be looking after you out there."

She bowed her head sadly and he forced a smile, pulling her into a hug,

"C'mere."

Squeezing him tight, she sniffled as he continued,

"Doc's a good guy. He'll keep you safe, a'ight?"

Tousling her hair as he pulled away, he sent her back over to the Doctor, who smiled as she walked up,

"Oh, c'mon! Don't look so sour about this! We're gonna have loads of fun, you and me. _Loads!_"

He did a little jig and Girl glared at him blankly; heaving a deep sigh as she turned back toward Party Poison,

"Hey, Poison?"

He paused as he opened the car door. She shot him a half-hearted smile,

"Be careful, okay? Don't get dusted."

"Will do, little mama."

Clara opened her door and sat down in the passenger's side as he climbed into the driver's seat; sliding the bazooka into the back.

She took a breath as he started the car, slapping her hands down into her lap,

"Well, I guess since we haven't been _formally_ introduced yet, and this is an already..._tense_...situation, I should introduce myself. Clara Oswald."

He glanced over at her and rolled his eyes, quickly throwing the car into reverse,

"Don't care."

Her eyes widened at this and she quickly fastened her seatbelt; swallowing hard,

"Yeah, I have a feeling we're gonna be _best_ mates..."

He then slammed on the gas, causing her to let out a shrill scream as they peeled away from the Diner going an easy 90.

The Doctor cringed at that, biting his lip as he watched them fade into the dust cloud they left behind,

"I'm beginning to think this might not have been the _best _idea."

~ø~

-_**Battery City-**_

Korse smiled as he strolled down the long hallway, nodding cordially to his fellow exterminators. It had been three months since he had had to personally deal with the Killjoys' obnoxious shenanigans. They had likely been quieted by the demise of their leader, Party Poison, a triumph he could only wish he had been part of. As he reached the room at the end of the hall, he opened the door and stepped into a large office,

"You wanted to see me, Director."

"Yes."

The tall chair seated at the end of the long, white table slowly spun, revealing a woman with short, black hair. Korse raised an eyebrow curiously at the woman,

"Miss Eri? Where is the Director?"

"The Director was terminated as of this morning," she began, slowly rising from her seat as she rounded the table,

"He failed to pass his inspections. I was promoted in his stead."

She came to a stop a few feet from him and forced a wide smile,

"And you will call me, '_Madam Director_', from now on. Is that understood?"

Swallowing hard, Korse straightened and smiled back,

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good," she began, grabbing the remote from the table,

"Now, as for why I summoned you here."

She clicked on the monitor above the table, the image showing security footage of a strange burst of light on the horizon,

"A satellite has fallen due north, somewhere out on Route Guano. I sent a crew to collect it but they haven't returned, and what's more..."

Another image came up onto the screen, one of a helmeted pair of men arriving on motorcycles,

"Killjoys Jet Star and Kobra Kid were also spotted at the scene. It is unclear if the subjects were properly exterminated or not."

"Would you like me to check on the issues for you, Madam?"

"If you would," she turned back to the monitor,

"Who knows...you may get a _promotion_ out of the deal."

Nodding shortly, Korse turned about face and exited the room, a dark scowl crossing his features.

The woman smiled as she watched the security footage a bit longer. Kobra Kid and Jet Star, being accosted by a pair of well-aiming Draculoids, fell lifelessly to the ground. She continued to watch as the two were placed into regulation body bags. The Draculoids then disappeared into the crater, not to emerge again.

As she kept watching, her eyes widened. A white, 1979 Trans Am pulled into the frame and out from the driver's side, stepped a man with flaming, red hair. Scrambling for the remote, she quickly paused the footage and gazed at the image. Zooming in on him, she leaned against the table, a soft gasp of disbelief escaping her.

~ø~

Clara held onto the roof as he sped down the road, her hair whipping her in the face,

"S-So, how long have you known the Doctor?!"

She shouted over the wind roaring in through the open windows. He kept his eyes on the road, turning a hard right with a squeal of the tires,

"Technically? Six years."

"Technically," she repeated, shaking her head in confusion,

"Whatchya mean 'technically'?"

"Well, it was six years _for me_," he took another sharp turn and she yelped, holding tight to her seatbelt. He grinned at the fear that flashed across her face and took another sharp turn, going off road,

"_Three days _for him."  
"Oh, is that _all_!?"

She jerked forward as they came to a sudden, short stop in front of an enormous crater; her seatbelt now choking her. He shook his head as he clambered out of the car; readying his gun,

"We're here."

Sighing in relief, she leaned back and grabbed the bazooka from the back seat, shaking her head as she followed after him,

"And _thank God_ for that..."

Stepping cautiously toward the edge, he sighed nodding to the pod at the bottom,

"That's it."

Stepping up next to him, Clara frowned,

"Doesn't seem like much."

He hopped down into the crater and carefully made his way down, calling back to her casually,

"Let's just hurry and get this fucking over with."

Rolling her eyes, she let out a sigh and followed suit, shaking her head,

"You know, you swear an _awful_ lot. Ever notice?"

"All the goddamn time, sweetheart. It's my fuckin' pasttime," he brought his gun up as he inched toward the silver capsule, eying the masks still lying on the ground.

She brought her bazooka up at this, hurrying after him,

"How _charming_."

Poison paused at the sound of another car on the other side of the crater and quickly grabbed her by the arm, dragging her along behind him,

"Quick, get down!"

They darted behind the capsule as a pair of headlights filtered over the edge of the crater, the pair peeking around cautiously at the sound of footsteps. A bald man appeared in the lights and Party Poison let out a soft curse,

"_Shit_..."

"What's that for? Who's he?"

Leaning back against the capsule, he glanced over at her, swallowing hard,

"_Bad news_."

He turned back to look again, Clara sighing deeply,

"Ah yes...thank you. That clears everything up-"

"C'mon," he grabbed her arm again, ushering her inside the capsule,

"Let's get outta sight before he spots us."

~ø~

Korse raised an eyebrow as he spotted a red-headed blur heading into the capsule at the base of the crater,

"No... it can't be."

Running a bio scan, he cursed.

Party Poison was still running, however impossible that seemed, and there was someone with him. A woman of unknown origin, she was not a registered citisen of Battery City. Frowning in disgust, he turned at the sound of nearby footsteps, startled to find a registered Killjoy standing behind him.

"Kobra Kid."

The blonde man glared at him blankly. Korse brought up his weapon to shoot, eyes widening as a pair of strong arms wrapped around him from behind. Glancing back, he eyed another Killjoy, the subject Jet Star, keeping him firmly grappled. Kobra Kid raised his hand up and began to approach, a dead look in his eyes,

"_**You will be upgraded**_**.**"


	3. Crash and Burn

**Crash and Burn**

"So, who was he? That man outside?"

Clara asked again, holding the bazooka carefully as they made their way down a long corridor,

"_Bad news_ is a bit vague."

"He's an _exterminator_," Party Poison coughed harshly, his voice echoing coldly off the walls,

"And I'd like to keep off his radar if we can help it."

"An exterminator," she frowned, shaking her head,

"I'm guessing you don't mean for cockroaches."

He stopped, shooting her an annoyed look,

"No, I don't mean _cockroaches_," rolling his eyes, he started walking again.

"So, they just pop up and say 'hey, I don't like you' and what...boom? That's it, you're dead?"

"You know, you should be glad _I'm_ not an exterminator," he groaned, rubbing his stomach sorely,

"You'da gone _boom _a long time ago."

Clara narrowed her eyes at that, marching around to cut him off,

"Hey," she shouted, an angry pout on her lips as she glared up at him,

"Look, I don't like being stuck with _you_, either, but you don't see me being rude about it!"

He let out another groan, wincing as she continued,

"We got off to a pretty bad start back there. So, what do you say we start over and at least try to make this trip a little more civil?"

She held her hand out, glaring him straight in the eyes. With a sigh, he rolled his eyes and reluctantly shook it. A smile tugged at the side of her mouth and she straightened,

"See? That's not so bad-"

He then gripped her hand tightly, bringing his face inches from hers,

"Listen here, _girly_. You don't get to come in here and throw yourself around like you own the fucking place, a'ight_? _This is _my_ domain. You do what _I_ say. Just cause the Doctor puts up with your bullshit, don't mean _I_ have to. I ain't him. Got it?"

She narrowed her eyes at this, and squeezed back, forcing a smile,

"My name is _Clara_."

They glared at each other for a few more moments, until Party Poison pulled back, pushing past her with a grunt,

"Let's just get this over with."

Rolling her eyes, she followed him deeper into the capsule with a sigh,

"Whatever you say..._your highness._"

~ø~

Girl frowned as she sat in the open doorway of the TARDIS, gazing out at the desert with a sigh. The Doctor frowned at this as he came back into the room, placing his hands on his hips,

"Oh, do you have to look so dejected? He'll be back!"

She turned and looked at him, a deeply annoyed look on her face.

The Doctor swallowed hard as she continued to stare at him, drumming his arm with a whistle,

"Well, is there anything you'd like to do in the mean time? Chess? Cluedo? Maybe some Scrabble?"

Girl rolled her eyes at that and took to gazing back out at the desert. Clearing his throat, he shook his head and turned,

"I'll just go check on...erm...yeah."

She frowned as she caught something gleaming out past the road and stood up, cocking her head to the side as it drew closer.

Stepping out of the TARDIS, she walked out to see what it was. Her eyes widened as she saw that it was a group of people...people dressed in all white with silvery fixtures on their heads. Behind them roared what looked like a wave from the ocean; a wave of slithering, metallic bugs...

~ø~

Checking over the wounded man's stats, the Doctor sighed deeply and shook his head,

"You're lucky, you are. Michael almost made worm's meat of you..."

The dark-haired man didn't reply. To this, the Doctor frowned and took out his sonic screwdriver. He gazed at it a minute, his eyebrows knitting in thought,

"Very lucky indeed..."

"_DOCTOR!_"

Straightening with a start, the Doctor rushed back out to the console room, spotting Girl in the doorway. He hurried over to her, kneeling down,

"What!? What is it!? What's the matter?"

She pointed to the cluster of man and machine that marched ever closer, and the Doctor cursed, quickly swinging the doors shut.

~ø~

"We almost there, you think?"

Party Poison glanced back at Clara as if hoping for a positive answer.

The woman shook her head,

"Dunno...I've never been in one of these before."

Coughing harshly, he held his side and winced,

"_Greaaaat_."

They inched farther down the corridor, Poison quickly pulling her aside as someone appeared at the end of the hall,

"Get back!"

A full-bodied robot appeared and started toward them; the red head pulling her flat against the wall behind him,

"What the hell is that thing?"

"A Cyberman," she whispered softly,

"One of the things the Doctor was telling you about earlier..."

"Ah, those things that wanna take over the human race, I got ya."

With a smirk, he pulled away from her and stepped out into the centre of the hall,

"Guess it's time we got this party started, then..."

Walking up behind it, he let out a loud whistle to draw it's attention,

"Hey, big boy! Over here!"

Clara's eyes widened as he drew it's attention and tried to wave him back,

"What the hell are you doing!? Get back here!"

The Cyberman halted and he grinned, raising up his ray gun,

"Present for you."

He fired a shot; the laser splashing harmlessly off of its head. Swivelling to face him, it began to march forward, arm extended,

_**"You will be upgraded."**_

He fired a few more shots, startled as they were easily deflected. As it marched closer, he took a few steps back; eyes wide. With an aggravated groan, Clara quickly jumped out from her spot, bazooka in hand as she hurried up behind him,

"Move!"

Knocking him out of the way, she fired a pulse that connected directly with the Cyberman's chest. It fell backward, violently convulsing as it crashed against the floor. After a few moments, it stopped moving all together.

Clara turned to Party Poison, an angry look in her eye,

"What the hell was that!? Were you trying to get us killed!?"

"No," he scowled, making a face at her,

"I was _trying_ to draw it's attention away from you-"

"And that would do _what _exactly?"

He swallowed hard, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek,

"I, uh...I dunno! I was thinking...maybe you could sneak passed it or something!"

"Sneak passed it and let it kill you?"

He fell silent.

"Okay," she shook her head, starting passed him,

"How about I take the lead, now, before you go and do something even more _stupid_."

Wiping his nose, he scowled and pushed away from the wall, grumbling softly to himself.

~ø~

"Doctor," Girl squeaked as she backed away from the door,

"What are we gonna do!?"

The Doctor quickly pressed himself back against it, eyes wide as the crowd outside began to slam themselves against the door. Pulling his sonic from his pocket, he turned and used it on said door, locking it tight. The pounding continued, and he swallowed hard, quickly taking Girl by the hand as he hurried back to the console,

"We have to move. C'mon."

"How can we go anywhere," Girl squeaked, keeping herself pinned to the console as the Doctor feverishly beat at the controls,

"They've got us locked in!"

"Not for long they don't!"

Pulling down on one on the levers, the lights at her centre began to move, and Girl straightened, feeling the ground begin to shudder.

~ø~

Finally arriving at the end of the tunnel, the pair passed through a rounded doorway and into a circular room. At the centre of this room stood a console, with glowing blue lights and many wires.

Party Poison nodded to it shortly,

"That must be the control panel."

Clara nodded and stepped forward, raising the bazooka to fire. As the pulse hit the console, the lights flickered and shorted out, and she turned to the fiery-haired man with a smile,

"There. That was simple..."

He rolled his eyes and turned away from her, heading back to the hall,

"Well, if that's all there is to it, then let's get the hell out of here. I'll go get my boys, and you and Doc can be on your merry fucking way, sound good to you?"

"I'm afraid not."

The fiery-haired man gasped as he glanced up to see a bald man standing in the doorframe.

Silently, the man raised up his white gun and fired a shot, striking the wall beside Clara.

Party Poison quickly ducked as he took aim a second time, hurrying back to her as he fired a few shots back,

"Run!"

Quickly, he grabbed her hand and took off down a side exit. Pushing her ahead, he spun around and watched the man enter the hall behind them. He raised his gun to fire, but paused. For some strange reason, it felt as though the ground were shifting underneath him; tossing and turning like waves on the sea.

The exterminator took aim again.

All of a sudden, a brilliant burst of light shot passed his head and collided with their attacker; knocking him to the ground. Party Poison jumped as he heard a distant shout behind him. A hand grabbed him quickly and he turned, his focus returning as his eyes fell on Clara. She tugged fiercely at his arm, beginning to pull him along with her,

"C'mon!"

Nodding, he shook his head and quickly followed after her.

~ø~

A loud sound of 'whooshing' filled the console room and she glanced around, holding onto the pillar tight as the box began to rumble beneath her.

After a few moments, the whooshing sound ended and the Doctor smiled,

"There. That should do it."

"Do what," Girl squeaked, still clinging to the pillar for dear life,

"What did you do?"

With a grin, the Doctor marched to the door, the child shouting after him,

"No, don't! They'll get inside!"

"No, they won't. Trust me."

He grabbed the door knob and yanked it open fast,

"See, ta-!"

He was met by the barrel of a bright pink gun. To this, his smile fell and he put his hands up slowly,

"-da."

~ø~

They hurriedly clambered into the car, Clara's eyes wide as she buckled her seatbelt,

"You weren't kidding. He was really gonna kill you-"

"Yeah, no shit," he punched the gas, speeding away from the crater and down the dark, dusty highway.

Grabbing hold of the roof, she turned to him; her hair whipping her in the face,

"So, what do we do, now!?"

"Try and get back to the Diner," he stated, briefly looking away from the road and over at her,

"Doc's electric tampon oughta be able to tell us if that worked or not!"

"_'Electric tampon'_," she shouted over the roaring wind, a confused look on her face,

"You mean the _sonic screwdriver_!?"

"Yeah, whatever! If anything, it should know what to do next!"

Turning her eyes back to the road, Clara jumped as she spotted a figure in the road,

"LOOK OUT!"

Poison's hazel eyes widened as he glanced up to see both Jet Star and Kobra Kid blocking their path. Turning the wheel hard to the left, he veered to the side, narrowly avoiding collision. Unfortunately, he had overestimated the amount of room he had to work with.

Gripping the wheel tightly, he cursed as the car slipped from the road; beginning to flip as they tumbled down a steep slope. The world became a blur as he lost control of the vehicle, and Clara's screaming was soon drowned out by the sounds of distant gunfire...

~ø~

The Doctor swallowed hard as he eyed the gun trained on him and offered a nervous smile,

"Well, isn't this a familiar scenario. If I had a nickel for every gun aimed at my face..."

The helmeted man behind it did not seem to be as amused as he was. His smile fell and he coughed, shifting uncomfortably,

"I-I'd have an awful lot of nickels. Luckily, I have room for all of them..."

Offering a hand, he nodded,

"Hello, I'm the Doctor."

"No, _I'm_ the Doctor..."

He frowned as another man wheeled himself out from around the armed one. Shades lowered to the end of his nose, the man scowled and motioned to the TARDIS,

"And you must be some kinda _Crash Queen_ to wreck _my_ domain in a ride like _that_."

To this, the Doctor shrugged and let out a timid laugh.

~ø~

_'"Beware of the statues."'_

Clara jumped at the sound of a loud whisper in her ear, her eyes shooting open in fright. Alarmed, she found herself hanging upside down in her seat. Her eyes widened.

The figures in the road. They had swerved to avoid them.

They must have crashed.

She sighed in relief, realising this meant she had survived and smiled,

"Phew, that was a close one..."

She glanced over at the seat beside her, eyes widening as she found it empty,

"Hey...?"

Glancing around frantically, she hurriedly made to unfasten her seat belt, calling out again,

"Hey!"

A curse escaped her as she freed herself from her bonds, dropping straight onto her head with a loud thud,

"Ow!"

Upon regaining her composure, she crawled out of the window and stood on shaky legs. They'd landed in a dried field at the base of the slope, next to an oddly shaped tree.

She took a deep breath. He was nowhere in sight.

"Oh, boy..."

Taking a few steps away from the vehicle, she noted that the wheels of the car were still spinning, and desperately began searching the area. The wind was chilly as it breezed passed and she rubbed at her arms, feeling her insides beginning to shake a little,

"Michael!"

The petite woman then bit her lip, swallowing hard,

"At least...I _think_ that's your name...?"

There was no reply either way.

Calling out again, Clara strained her eyes to see into the inky blackness; the smoke generating from the overturned car further obscuring her vision,

"Michael!"

She took a step forward and froze. A few feet away, she spotted a figure lying in the grass; their fluorescent hair seeming to glow in the dark. Her stomach dropped as she ran to him, kneeling as she reached his side,

"Hey! Hey!"

Gently, she rolled him over onto his back and lightly patted at his cheek,

"Michael! Michael!"

He made no response. She shook her head at this, and leaned down; ear over his mouth to check for signs of breathing. He took small gasps that were light; strained. Swallowing hard, she sat back up and glanced around,

"Well, you're not dead. That's a good start..."

Spotting a building nearby, she glanced back up at the slope; her breath halting as she spotted the two figures from the road standing on the edge of hill. They stared at her intently.

Climbing to her feet, she grabbed Party Poison under the arms and began to carefully drag him toward the shabby structure. She kept her eyes fixed on the figures the entire time. They made no motion of coming after them. Upon reaching the back door, she grunted and she shoved her way through; years of dust and grime cascading down on her as she pulled him inside.


	4. Houses of the Holy

**Houses of the Holy**

"Welcome to my humble abode, _Doctor_," the man in the motorised wheelchair snorted, cocking his head to the side as he continued,

"Now, are you gonna tell me how you found this place? Or is Show Pony here gonna have to give you a _third eye_...?"

The Doctor swallowed hard as the gun drew closer to his face and his mouth dropped open,

"Uhhh...yes...erm...how we found you...yes, that's a good place to start in _theory_, but the truth is I haven't really the faintest clue, seeing as the TARDIS tends to take me wherever she pleases and I bet, I _bet_ you're wondering 'Well, how could she do that? She's just a box' and I'll say 'Mmm, well_ technically _she's not just a box, she's much more than a _box_, but long story short I've been wondering the same thing for years-'"

"D!"

The Doctor jumped as Girl ran out from behind him and over to the chair-bound man; throwing her arms around him. He seemed surprised to see her,

"Well, hey there, little motorbaby! Tell me what brings you here with the likes of this...uh...this..."

He motioned to the Doctor, a frown of confusion on his face.

"It's _the Doctor_," the Doctor grumbled to himself.

Dr. D then motioned to the one called Show Pony to lower his weapon as Girl continued,

"Poison told me to stay with him."

"Poison did," D frowned, turning to the Doctor with a raised brow,

"Now, I've known that boy since he was knee-high to a grasshopper, and he never once mentioned you. Care to explain that one, Mr. '_The Doctor_'?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes,

"Now, you're just being _facetious_."

He pushed passed them and stepped further into the little studio, looking around curiously at all of the equipment,  
"A transmitter? You must be the jockey from the radio...broadcasting events over the airwaves in real time...?"

Pulling out the sonic screwdriver, he waved it at the receivers and flicked it up,

"Interesting. Tell me, exactly how is it that you know so much, _'Dr. Death Defying'?_"

"Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'a magician never reveals his secrets?'"

The Doctor smirked as he turned back to the chair-bound man,

"Yes, well, I think you're a little far from being a magician'..."

"And I think you're a little far from being a _Doctor_," D smugly replied, wheeling himself over to the receiver,

"But that don't stop you from calling yourself one, now does it?"

Turning to face the lanky man, Dr. D scowled,

"Now, tell me...how exactly do you know our Murder Wizard?"

The Doctor defiantly folded his arms and leaned back against the desk,

"Oh, Michael and I go _way_ back..."

"Michael, huh? He lets you call him that?"

The Doctor scowled as he glanced up to see Show Pony attempting to take a stroll into the TARDIS.

With a snap of his fingers, the doors to the box slammed shut and Show Pony jumped; startled. He spun around, seeming to glare the Doctor down as he placed his fists on his hips.

"Well, I wouldn't say '_lets_'," the Doctor began quietly, "But I found '_Party Poison_' to be a bit of a mouthful so I do anyway and let's not change the subject, shall we?"

"So, you don't know why he took it, then? That name?"

The Doctor frowned, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"No...why?"

~ø~

_"How do you think the roses would look here?"_

-ø-

_They stood out in the front yard, looking at the empty flower boxes by the porch. He turned to her and shrugged,_

_"I don't know. I'm not really a flower kind of guy."_

_"Oh, c'mon, Michael," she groaned, her long, dark hair pulled back by a bandana,_

_"This is your house too, remember? You have to have a say!"_

_ Rolling his eyes, he shook his head,_

_"Uh, I don't know? How about daisies?"_

_"We don't have daisies," she bent down and picked up four packets of flower seeds and the hose from the front step,_

_"We have roses, petunias, violets, and marigolds. Now, which one do you think would look best in the bed?"_

_ With a grin, he put his arms around her waist and pulled her in, _

_"I think you would look best in the bed-"_

_"Michael-"_

_"You and me, rollin' around in the dirt-"_

_"Michael..."_

_"Hey, we're newlyweds," he laughed, leaning close to kiss her,_

_"I really don't think the neighbours would be that shocked-"_

_ He missed her lips by a mile as she pulled away, the woman scowling at him,_

_"Can't you take things seriously for once in your damn life?"_

_"Pssssh," he snorted, shaking his head,_

_"Lady, that is a TALL order-"_

_He jumped, letting out a yell as she suddenly squirted him in the face with the nozzle._

_ Shoving the packets at his chest, she glared at him viciously,_

_"Get a ladder, then."_

_She then turned and stormed back to the house, leaving him in the front yard alone. _

_He sighed as he called after her, dropping one of the packets in his hand,_

_"Bev! Bev, c'mon!"_

_**PLIP**_**.**

_"Bev!"_

_**PLIP.**_

-ø-

Party Poison jumped as he felt something wet splash onto his face,

"Bev?"

He reached up and quickly wiped the droplet from his face as it began to burn; turning his eye toward the ceiling. It was raining outside, he could hear it drumming against the roof.

Quickly, he scooted aside as another drip of water seeped from a crack in the eaten plaster.  
A groan escaped him as a hot, searing pain tore through his chest..

He began to cough, the pain growing worse with each spasm. He covered his mouth.

This was going to get messy, no doubt.

"Michael!?"

Eyes wide, his head shot up as he heard the shout from the other room. Pulling himself to his feet, he gazed down the hall, his heart racing,

"Bev...?"

The sound of footsteps grew closer and he waited on baited breath.

Was it her? No, that would be impossible.  
The path to her time was broken, riddled with angels.

The Doctor had said so himself.

But it had sounded so much like her...maybe, just maybe she had found a way?

Clara stepped out from around the corner then, her eyes wide as she smiled,

"Oh, good! You're not dead. That's a relief! Had me scared for a bit there."

His face fell as he eyed her, swallowing hard the lump in his throat.

Noting this change, the doe-eyed woman cringed,

"Don't look so _happy _to see me, now. People might get the wrong impression-"

"Who said you could call me 'Michael'?"

Clara frowned as she found him glaring her down, his eyes like daggers,

"Um...no one? I thought that was your name?"

"Well, it ain't," he hissed, grabbing his side as he turned and started away from her,

"It's '_Party Poison_'. Call me that again and I will personally _end_ you, got it?"

"Hmm, you really know how to make a girl feel special..."  
Rolling his eyes, he began limping down the hall, using the wall as support as he walked. He took a small phone out of his pocket and frowned. No screen. Raising it up, he snorted and flipped it shut, shaking his head,  
"'No need for a signal', my _ass..._"

Glancing back at her, he groaned as a sharp pain shot through his hip,

"You find a radio in this dump? Maybe we can call for help."

"No, nothing. I looked around a bit though," she began, rubbing at her arm nervously,  
"I guess this place used to be some kind of church."  
Poison nodded thoughtfully, snorting to himself as he looked around,

"Well, that explains the burning sensation."  
"The what?"

"_Nothing."_

He winced as he reached a door down the hall marked 'To Sanctuary' and frowned. A pain shot through him and he grimaced, gripping his side. Clara noted his awkward posture and raised an eyebrow,

"You all right?"

"I'm fine."

He grunted as he pushed open the door, dust fluttering down from the frame into his face. It made him cough. There was a staircase inside.

Grabbing the railing, he started carefully started down, still hacking rather fiercely.

Clara swallowed hard, growing slightly more concerned as it seemed to worsen,

"Tickle in your throat?"

The woman gasped as he fumbled his footing and stumbled down the steps, watching him tumble to the floor in a heap,

"Oh my God!"

Hurrying down after him, she knelt down and placed a hand on his shoulder,

"Are you okay!?"

He groaned as he pushed himself up onto his side, pushing her abruptly away,

"I said '_I'm fine_'!"

She straightened as his scarf shifted, revealing a bright red rash just under his jawline.  
She kept her eyes on it; her voice soft and startled,  
"What's that on your neck...?"

In a panic, he pulled the scarf tight and jumped to his feet, staggering on down the hall,

"You're really fucking _nosy,_ you know that?"

She silently watched him trudge away, her stomach tightening anxiously.

~ø~

"Hmmm, so he's called 'The Doctor'," Korse smiled, standing at the broken console within the capsule's centre. He smirked,

"Oh, Miss Eri, the Oracle played you for a fool...oh, forgive me. It's 'Madam Director', now."

The man then stopped, frowning slightly as he the metal apparatus affixed to his face began to hum.

His mind soared back, scouring file upon file contained in the mainframe of his brain, until it reached a document containing the status of a Killjoy by the name of 'Go-Go'.

She looked remarkably similar to the new Madam Director.

"Or perhaps, you were never fooled at all..."

~ø~

The raven-haired woman sighed as she stepped into the white chamber, a set of glass doors sealing her in. Calmly, she leaned back against the wall, a soft hiss filling her ears.

**"We will fix you in no time, Madam Director."**

Said a voice from the intercom. She smiled to the nearby monitor and gave a nod. A strange smell, akin to that of disinfectants, filled the room and she closed her eyes.

_"Did it hurt when you heard I'd died?Were you upset?"_

The memories of those long nights and even longer days came back to her, the nights she had longed to be in his arms once more. Fifteen years and she had lost it all, lost _him_, and that day was just another harsh reminder of that loss.

_"The world goes on."_

But hers hadn't. It had died that day, that day the angels had touched her and sent her spiralling back through time. She had lost everything. A tear trailed down her cheek as she opened her eyes.

_"You could be free from all of this. Free from the fear...free from the suffering that comes with this life."_

She could see him now, taking up her line of sight, their lips mere inches apart. She could feel his hot breath on her skin, smell the sweat dripping from his brow. Sparks trickled from her fingertips as she ran her hand up through his greasy hair, pulling him in, kissing him hard. His lips had been so soft; so soft and wonderful. Being in those arms again had made her feel something she hadn't felt in forever.

It had made her feel loved.

_"I'd rather die."_

The anger he had spat at her was all that remained now. Clenching her fists, she narrowed her eyes and took another deep breath, allowing the gas to fill her lungs. She began to get light headed.

This made her smile.

"I will forget it all," she began, wiping her eyes of the tears that poured from them,

"Everything that ever existed between us."

She swallowed hard the lump that had developed in her throat and closed her eyes.

_**"Because love is just a symptom of the disease you have become to me. And I will find a cure for you."**_

~ø~

Clara stepped into the sanctuary, eyes wide as she eyed the tall cross on the wall. Party Poison was standing in front of it, idly rubbing at the rosary that dangled from his wrist. Cautiously, she called out to him,

"Find anything?"

Quickly, he turned, his eyes wide and glittering. It looked as though he'd been crying. She straightened as he quickly wiped them with the back of his hand and watched him step around the remains of a decimated altar,  
"Yeah. There's a radio over here."

As she slowly grew closer, she gasped, eying the corpse he was now kneelng by,

"Oh my..."

Reaching down, he pried the receiver out of it's rotting hand and Clara gasped, finding herself gagging as she leaned against one of the remaining pews,

"Oh, ho...okay...that was a little...gruesome."

He brushed it off and followed the cord back to the radio on the shelf, shaking his head,

"He's been dead a while. Smells that way, anyhow. And from the looks of this place...there musta been one nasty death disco up in here."

Insides shaking, Clara glanced over and spotted another body, her eyes wide,

"Oh, boy. You're not kidding, are you...?"  
She quickly hurried up to the altar, her stomach turning as the foul smell of death hit her like a brick wall. Gagging, she turned and headed for the nearest wall away from him. The fiery-haired man snickered at this, amused,  
"You okay, _chicka_?"  
The petite woman paced the floor, trying her best to keep from hyperventilating,

"Oh yeah, I'm fine...just great...don't worry about me."  
She then paused and turned to him, fanning herself with a hand,

"Is it hot in here? It feels hot."

He shook his head at her, still cracking a smile as he went back to fiddling with the radio.

To this, she scowled, shaking her head,

"What? Do you think this is funny?"

"No," he snorted, looking at her innocently.

"Dead people lying all around you, is that funny? These people had families, you know!"

He halted at that, swallowing hard,

"I-I wasn't sayin' that-"

"You didn't have to, cause you're laughin'! It's not funny! It's really sad and tragic and-"

Party Poison straightened as he watched her rush toward the door, her face turning white as a sheet.

"I need air," she gasped.

Jumping to his feet, he quickly chased her down as she opened the door and started out into the rain; grabbing her arm,

"NO, DON'T-!"

A droplet hit her skin as he pulled her back inside and she frowned, looking to him in confusion,

"What are you-!?"

She then yelped as her hand began to burn, shaking the water off quickly. A red spot was beginning to appear on her skin, and it was steadily growing larger. Giving her no time to protest, Party Poison untied the handkerchief from around his wrist and dabbed the burning water off her skin. He then pulled a small flask from his coat pocket and popped it open with his teeth, dumping the contents onto the burn. She jumped as it pooled in her palm, relieved as it quickly worked to cool the spot down.  
"That rain out there is more acid than water," he stated, taking the other handkerchief from around his leg and tying it around the burn,

"You ever see Dante's Peak?"

"No."

"That's probably for the best, then..."

She watched his face as he wrapped her hand up, a smile tugging at her lips,

"Thank you."

He paused and looked up at her, swallowing hard as he was met with a familiar pair of doe brown eyes.

Coughing shortly, he promptly let go of her hand and turned away from her,

"I-uh...I think I got this thing working pretty good. I'm gonna send out a call so you keep your mouth _shut._ The transmission works but it ain't clear and I need to be able to hear if someone comes through..."

She nodded, idly rubbing at the handkerchief,

"Yeah, got it."

~ø~

"He never told me any of that, no," the Doctor whispered, tugging at his throat nervously.

"Then, I hope you understand why he goes by that name. It ain't just for shits and giggles. There's _meaning_ to it."

The Doctor nodded solemnly as the DJ finished,

"Yes, I uh...I understand the meaning a name can bring all too well."

The group straightened as the radio buzzed then, a staticky voice bleeding in through the speakers,

"_-bzzt-YO, YO, YO-bzzt-What it is, motherfuckers, 10-4!"_

The Doctor straightened, his eyes wide as the voice came in loud and clear,

"That's-"

"Poison," Girl smiled.

"_-bzzt- Do you really have to talk like that?-bzzt-_"

The Doctor's eyes lit up at the sound of her voice and he breathed a sigh of relief,

"And Clara!"

Quickly, he shoved past Dr. D in a frantic scramble for the receiver, nearly knocking the speakers over as he snatched it from the table,

"Clara! Clara, I'm here!"

"Hey," D shouted, scowling at him as he wheeled his way over to the desk,

"Ain't anybody ever tell you not to touch another man's equipment without consent!?"

The Doctor ignored him, and instead, pulled out his sonic screwdriver.

_"-bzzt- Why shouldn't I?-bzzt-"_

_"-bzzt- Because! It's incredibly rude!-bzzt-"_

He laughed at that, waving the device at the radio,

"Yeah, you tell him."

"Ahem," Dr. D cleared his throat slapping the Doctor in the thigh as he wheeled close,

"Would you mind telling me why the fuck you are waving a _glowstick _at my radio?"

"Clara," the Doctor shouted again, his lips nearly brushing the receiver,

"Clara, can you hear me!? Hello? Clara!"

_"-bzzt- Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?-bzzt-"_

_"-bzzt- Not anymore. She's been dead for six years.-bzzt-"_

_"-bzzt-Oh...I'm so sorry! I didn't know...-bzzt-"_

_"-bzzt- Nah, I'm just fuckin' with you. She lives out in Neo Pasadena...-bzzt-"_

"They can't hear us," the Doctor scowled, scanning the radio one last time before turning back for the TARDIS,

"The glitch must be on their end."

"And where are _you_ going?"

With a smile, the Doctor waved the screwdriver at D,

"To them."

He paused before stepping inside the box, turning back to Girl with a smile,

"So, then...would you like to come with me or stay with him?"

The curly-haired child giggled as she bounded into the TARDIS, and the Doctor turned back for the DJ,

"Now, if you would be so kind as to put a word out for anyone in your listening vicinity to stay in their homes or _whatever_ type of establishment they reside in, I'd be much obliged."

"Yeah," D nodded, raising an eyebrow curiously,

"I think I can do that."

"Right," the Doctor straightened, tipping an imaginary hat to the man as he stepped back through the open door,

"Well, then...toodle-loo, _Doctor_."

He closed the door as he turned away, strutting back to the console with a smirk.

Dr. D and Show Pony watched silently as the TARDIS began to whoosh and whirr, the small lantern on it's roof beginning to glow. The box began to slowly vanish then, waxing and waning in visibility until it had completely disappeared from sight.

Cautiously, Show Pony glided over to the spot where it had sat. Confused, he spun around to face the DJ as if expecting an answer. Dr. Death Defying took off his glasses at this and shook his head,

"Now, I'll admit, there ain't much out there that surprises me anymore... but what the damn hell just happened here?"

~ø~

Clara gazed down at her hand, quiet as a mouse, mindlessly running her fingers over the handkerchief. Party Poison was sitting nearby, still tinkering with the radio in an effort to send out an SOS. She glanced over to the wall farthest to their right, where the dead lay silent. Poison had pulled the bodies away from the altar and draped an old sheet over them in respect.

It was an oddly nice gesture, coming from him.

Turning to him, she smiled thoughtfully,

"So...who's Bev?"

Immediately, he stopped what he had been doing and looked at her, eyes wide. She straightened at the look on his face and shook her head, beginning to stammer,

"You, ah...you kept saying that name. When you were out of it, I mean. Earlier..."

Idly, he rubbed at the rosary around his wrist, his gaze awkwardly falling away from hers.

Seeing this, Clara cleared her throat, hastily offering an apology,

"If that was too personal, I'm sorry! I don't mean to pry...just curious. You don't have to-"

"No, no, it's...it's all right. It's fine," he smiled, shaking his head,

"Bev, she...she was my wife."

The petite woman sputtered at this, her eyes turning to saucers in surprise,

"You-Your wife!"

He snickered as she continued to make a dozen faces and nodded shortly. Clara swallowed hard and shook her head, blinking hard,

"Wow...I did not see that one coming."

"You and me _both_."

They shared a laugh, the dark-haired woman shaking her head,

"You're not messing around with me, are you? Someone _actually_ married you?"

Poison snorted at that,

"I find your lack of faith _disturbing_."

"Sorry," she put her hands up innocently,

"I just...didn't really peg you for the _marrying_ type."

He smiled at that, scratching his neck nervously,

"Yeah...neither did _I_."

They were both silent for a moment, Clara scooting a bit closer,

"So, what was she like? I mean she had to be some kind of saint to tolerate _you_..."

Party Poison laughed, shaking his head,

"_Jeez..._I'm not _that_ terrible."

She shot him a blank look. Exhaling deeply, he smirked and scratched his head,

"Okay, you got me there."

They laughed a bit, the red head idly tugging at the scarf around his neck,

"She was...she was somethin' else. Kinda like me. Halo held up by her horns..."

Clara smiled as he made the motion of horns with his fingers. He leaned his head back, grinning from ear to ear as he continued,

"A school teacher. Kindergarten. She was really good with 'em, too..."

Propping her head on her hand, Clara sighed,

"And where's she, now? In Neo Pasadena with your _'dead' _mum?"

He swallowed hard, his gaze falling back to the floor as he let out a cough,

"Nah, she...she died...a long time ago."

The woman straightened, her shoulders slumping at the tone in his voice,

"Oi, you're not kidding are you?"

With a deep breath the fiery-haired man shook his head, unable to look her in the eye,

"I wish I was."

Clara's face softened as he stood, watching silently as he limped to the other side of the room. He smiled, swinging his arms awkwardly as he went,

"Like I said, though, it was a long time ago. I was just a kid..."

Scratching his head, he shrugged, turning to her with a sheepish grin,

"Shit happens...you know?"

"How long had you been married," she asked, her voice soft and sorrowful as she spoke.

He stopped with a sigh, his arms folded as he gazed at the crucifix on the wall,

"Not long enough."

After a minute, he smirked, and shook his head,

"You...you kind of remind me of her. A little..."

She sighed, a sad smile hitting her lips,

"You're not the first person to say something like that..."

They both fell silent.

After a moment or two, he began coughing again, rather harshly this time and Clara straightened,

"Are you okay?"

Doubling over, he fell to his knees, unable to respond.

She jumped up, quickly running to his side with a frantic shout,

"Hey!"

~ø~

"So, we're gonna go find Poison?"

Girl queried, resting her chin on the console board.

The Doctor nodded, examining the sonic screwdriver thoroughly,

"We're gonna try. That signal was very dodgy, hard to get a read on, but if I just tweak it like so..."

A loud ding sounded from the monitor and he grinned, slapping the controls with a laugh,

"Hah! There we are..."

He hurried over to the door, Girl trotting after him anxiously,

"Did it work!?"

The Doctor scoffed,

"Of course it worked! Just who do you think you're dealing with here?"

As he opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of the overturned Trans Am, smoke billowing from beneath her hood. Eyes wide, he ran to it, hearts pounding in fright,

"No...no, no! Clara!"

He slid to a stop at the passenger's side door, finding the car to be empty,

"Clara?"

A scream drew his attention away from the vehicle and he stood up stalk straight. He spotted Girl, cowering in the doorway of the TARDIS as two men dressed in all white approached her. Quickly he aimed the sonic screwdriver at the doors and slammed them shut, barring the men from reaching the child. The TARDIS then took off, disappearing in a whoosh of wind and light.

The Doctor smiled,

"Good girl..."

"You must be the one they call '_The Doctor_'..."

He turned at the sound of a voice from behind him, startled to receive a karate chop to his face.

His vision went black.

* * *

_**A/N: I really wish that last Killjoys issue would come out...**_


	5. Move Your Body

**Move Your Body**

_"-bzzt-Yo, yo, yo! What it is, motherfuckers!? 10-4!-bzzt-"_

He straightened as he pulled the van to a screeching halt on the side of the dusty road, eyes wide as he gaped at the radio. That voice...he hadn't heard that voice in over 3 months, not since the Raygun Jones show had been pixelated. Swallowing hard, he waited on baited breath for the voice to return.

_"-bzzt-Do you really have to talk like that?-bzzt-"_

Well, there was a voice he didn't recognise. A woman, from the sound of it, and not local, judging by her accent. He wondered how she even managed to wander into the Zones.

_"-bzzt-Why shouldn't I?-bzzt-"_

_"-bzzt- Because it's incredibly ru-wooooo-bzzt-"_

His heart stopped. That voice definitely belonged to _him_. He smacked the radio a few times as it let out a shrill whine at him. The signal was gone. He'd lost it. Cursing, he started the van back up and made a U-turn. The only tower around was affixed to one of their old ghost stations; an abandoned church just off of Route Guano. In all likelihood, it must have been where the broadcast had come from. Stepping on the gas, he sped down the abandoned highway, thunder booming in the distance.

~ø~

"Hey! _Hey!_"

She placed a hand on his shoulder as she knelt down, tucking some hair behind her ear,

"Are you okay!?"

With one final cough, he gasped for air and wiped his mouth,

"Yeah, I'm fine."

He coughed again; spitting to the side. Clara straightened.

It was blood. She swallowed hard.

With a soft groan, he went to pull himself up, and quickly, she stood with him, hand hovering over his back,

"No, you're not...you're hurt-"

"I've been in worse scrapes then this, _peaches_-"

"Worse _how_," she frowned, grabbing his arm as he nearly fell again,

"You were thrown from a _car_!"

He looked over at her, a smirk crossing his blood spattered lips as he snorted,

"_Pffft..._try getting shot in the hip by a Nazi..."

He hobbled toward the door, the woman staring after him in confusion,

"A _Nazi_? Is that another term you use for those Exterminators?"

"No," he spun around, an aggitated look on his face,

"It's a term for those fucking, _goose-stepping _douchebags that killed thousands of innocent people back in World War II..."

She stared at him blankly. He could see she was completely confused.

Wiping his nose, he forced a bitter smile and shook his head,

"Doc didn't tell you anything about me, did he?"

Silently, she shook her head. Inhaling deeply, he let out a laugh and scratched his head,

"_Figures_. Bet he didn't tell you about the Angels, either."

"What angels," she shook her head, rubbing her arm unconsciously.

Poison rolled his eyes and sighed,

"You know, I don't know why he even fucking looked for you if he was just gonna keep you in the dark about everything. What's he have you do all day? Stand around and look _pretty _for him?"

"What do you mean he was looking for me?"

She marched right up to him, a deep scowl on her face,

"When? When was he lookin'?"

The fiery-haired man straightened at the look on her face and shook his head,

"You really don't know?"

She shook her head. Sighing, he opened his mouth to speak; a shout from outside drawing their attention.

_"Clara!"_

She turned to look at the door, eyes wide. It was the Doctor's voice.

"Well, here we go, then," Poison let out an exasperated sigh, grabbing the door knob,

"You can ask him yourself."

As he threw open the door, he was met with the sight of Kobra Kid and Jet Star. The Doctor was knelt between them, bound and unconscious. Clara gasped as she bolted forward out of the doorway, eyes wide,  
"Doctor!"

Poison first looked to make sure the rain had ceased before hurrying out after her, his attention turning to the right at the sound of a deep voice,

"Hello, Party Poison. Long time no see."

The red head gaped at the bearer of said voice in shock. It was Korse.

The bald man smirked then, and aimed his pristine, white gun at Clara.

Eyes wide, Poison bolted toward her, giving a shout,

"Clara!"

She stopped dead in her tracks, whipping her head around to see him running toward her fast.

Her eyes then fell on the Exterminator from earlier, his gun aimed in her direction. He fired.

She flinched.

But the hit never came.

Opening her eyes, she saw Party Poison staggering in her direction, smoke spiralling from the back of his jacket. She grabbed onto him as he nearly collapsed, her voice trembling with fright,

"Party Poison!"

Gasping painfully, he grabbed her arm and squeezed it tight, spitting a hanging strand of hair from his mouth as he hissed,

"_Run...!_"

Pushing her forward, they turned and ran from the scene; the loud clanging of metal behind them echoing throughout the valley. Clara glanced back as they went, heart pounding as she eyed the cybernetic army that now marched after them.  
Korse grinned as he watched their fleeting frames, nodding to the Cybermen whom had gathered behind him,

"Get them. Make sure they don't escape."

He then turned to Kobra Kid and Jet Star, and nodded toward the road,

"And take him to the crater. Our fine Doctor is due for an upgrade of his own..."

~ø~

"We have to go back! We can't just leave him-!"

Poison winced as scorching pain tore through his shoulder. He quickly shook his head,

"No way, _sweetheart_."

"But the Doctor-"

"Doc's as good as dead in case you haven't noticed," he spun quickly, glaring her straight in the eye,

"And I am _not _gonna stick my neck out for no corpse-"

Pulling away from him, Clara gave him a hard shove and scowled,

"Unbelieveable. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going, is that it-!?"

"Pretty much-"

"Wow," she snorted, glancing around,

"That is absolutely amazing. Just when I think I'm beginning to actually _like _you, you go and show me how much of a _coward _you actually are-"

Enraged, Party Poison snarled, stepping right up into her face,

"You don't know a thing about this life, _girly_. And you don't know a thing about _me_, so step off your fucking high horse and-"

"Quit calling me '_girly_'," she interjected, her brown eyes glittering with tears,

"My name is _Clara_. And if you were _half _the man the Doctor thinks you are you'd go back and you'd help me save him!"

Poison swallowed hard, snorting softly to himself as he turned and started away from her,

"Guess I'm not, then."

Clara clenched her fists as she watched him walk away, a look of pure disgust on her face.

"What about that little girl?"

The fiery-haired man stopped in his tracks, head bowing as she continued,

"If they took the Doctor, then where is she? What if they've taken her, too...? Will you go back for _her_? Or are you just gonna leave her to die?"

He shook his head, his voice shaky and uncertain,

"They don't have her."

"How do you know?"

"I just _know_, a'ight!?"  
He spun around, his eyes widening as he found himself standing in the surf on a dreary beach. Clara was gone. His heart began racing as he glanced around. Mutilated bodies lay strewn about all around him. There was a pungent odor in the air, the smell of death and the salt of the sea. And blood. There was so much blood. Squeezing his eyes shut, he shook his head and opened them again. The smell had faded and now he was back in the desert.

Clara was staring at him.

"You okay," she asked softly.

Shaking his head, he hurried and grabbed her hand again, pulling her away from the area,

"C'mon, this way."

"Why?"

She pulled away, and he swallowed hard, licking his lips nervously as the sounds of marching grew louder,

"'Cause their _coming_-"

"And? What about the Doctor?"

Rolling his eyes, he shook his head,

"If you wanna save him, you gotta stay alive, right?"

"...Yeah...?"

"Well, do you wanna stay alive, or _don't_ you!?"

Hesitantly, she nodded and followed him over the sparse, grassy hill.

They eyed a pair of white body bags lying near to a rundown trailer. Poison hurried over to the nearest bag and unzipped it. Clara glanced back as he continued to fumble with the bag, hearing the marching grow closer,

"Are we gonna go inside?"

"Yep."

"Then, what are we still doing out here?"

Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her toward the bag and shoved her toward the dirt,

"Climb in, _beautiful_."

"Oh, what!? No way! You're jokin'!"

Glancing up, he spotted one of the zombie-like men coming up over the hill,

"Just get in!"

He shoved her into it, climbing in behind her and zipping it shut. It was rather close quarters. Clara found her nose being shoved into his chest as she shifted, her eyes wide,

"I thought we were gonna go _inside_!"

"We _are_ inside."

"Yeah, a _body bag_! I thought you meant the _caravan_!"

"The cara-the _trailer_ is too obvious," he coughed shortly, pulling his gun up over her,

"They'll snoop around inside it for sure."

"And what, they won't think to peek around in here!?"

"Not if they think a stiff is inside it! Now, shut your pie hole, they're comin'!"

She made an annoyed face and was about to say something in response when she heard them speaking.

_**'"Check the facility. The subjects may be inside."'**_

They stayed quiet, Poison swallowing hard as he felt one come to a stop right beside the bag. He and Clara exchanged a nervous glance. He kept his finger on the trigger.

They listened for a few minutes more, until another one of the cybernetic men spoke out,

_**'"Negative. The subjects are not in this area. Resume search elsewhere."'**_

They stayed quiet until the sounds of marching had finally faded, both of them letting out a sigh of relief. Clara smiled,

"They're gone."

"Yeah, I think so," he replied.

She shifted slightly, rolling onto her back as he began to fumble for the zipper,

"You know...it's actually not so bad in this thing. Bit of a nasty smell, but kind of cozy."

"That's cause they keep it at room temperature to let the bodies rot."

Her face fell at that, and quickly she began scrambling for the zipper as well. Yanking it open, she clambered out of it and crawled a foot or so away, shivering,

"Ugh! That's disgusting!"

He snickered as he sat up and shook his head. They met eyes, both of them dissolving into giggles shortly after. The petite woman smiled, rubbing her arms as she walked back over to help him up,

"Shut up, it's not funny."

"It's a _little_ funny," he groaned, wincing as he grabbed his shoulder.

They both laughed again, and she shook her head, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ears.

~ø~

"How are you feeling, Madam Director?"

The raven-haired woman emerged from the tube with a smile on her face,

"Much better. Thank you."

She nodded to the two running the equipment and they turned and left the room.

Heading back to her office, she went straight to the monitor and tuned in to his signal,

"Korse. Have you found anything at the crater sight, yet?"

~ø~

Korse scowled as he heard the woman's monotone voice enter his ear,

_**"Korse, I need your report."**_

With a smirk, he tore the earpiece out from it's resting place and crushed it in his hand. He tossed it to the dirt, clasping his hands behind his back as he strolled up behind Kobra Kid and Jet Star. The Doctor sat unconscious on the floor before them. The man smiled,

"Well, then, Doctor...let's see what you have in that brain of yours."

~ø~

Madam Director frowned as the feed suddenly cut out, her eyes narrowing,

"What are you up to...?"

She watched the static a few minutes more before shutting the monitor off, then quietly left the room.

~ø~

"So, you said you've fought these things before, right? How did you stop them?"

Party Poison glanced back at Clara as they continued walking.

She shrugged, rubbing her arms for warmth,

"The Doctor figured something out..._as usual_. Slowed them down with a bit of gold...and a game of chess."

"_Chess_?"

"Yeah, chess."

"Well," he coughed, shivering a bit as a cold breeze blew through him,

"Guess we're shit out of luck, then...unless you think they know _Chinese Checkers, _too."

"Oh? You think you could take them?"

"Pssshht, honey I _know _I could," he smirked turning back to the front,

"You're lookin' at the SoCal Chinese Checkers _Champion_. First grade..."

Clara nodded, a smile crossing her lips as she caught up to him,

"Oh? And what's a title like that get you?"

"A shitload of pogs, some beanie babies, a few lunchables...and a coupl'a hot play dates with the third graders. I was the shit with all the little ladies back in the day. The boys, too. I liked to keep my options open."

She laughed at that, shaking her head,

"Mmm, the _Playground Player_. Bet your parents were proud."

The red head laughed, glancing over at her with a grin,

"Yeah...yeah, _no_."

She frowned as his smile began to fade, and gently placed a hand on his arm,

"What really happened to them, Party Poison?"

He silenced for a moment, his head bowed.

Then, with a deep sigh, he shrugged and shoved one hand in his pocket,

"They live in Neo Pasadena...like I said. If you can call being hyped on pills and forgetting that the world ended _living_."

Noting the sad look on his face, she frowned,

"Do they still remember _you_?"

He said nothing.

They rounded a tall, rock formation, Party Poison beginning to cough. He staggered over to it and carefully sat down, leaning back with a sigh,

"Let's stop a minute...okay?"

Walking over, she sat down beside him and leaned back against the rock as well.

Shaking his head, looked to the sky, his hazel eyes sparkling in the starlight,

"We got separated during the Fires...all of Cali burned up. LA, San Diego, Sacramento...Hollywood. Everything. Gone. Nobody could figure out what happened, so the government closed it off. Quarantined us. They didn't want whatever happened here happening anywhere else."

"What was it," she frowned,

"Did they ever find out?"

"Dunno," he shrugged,

"But it was big..._whatever _it was. Some people thought it was bombs. That's the general consensus. Others...seem to think a giant robot fell out of the sky. A lot of people started calling it 'Destroya'."

"_Destroya_?"

He nodded,

"It's pretty big with the bots. They treat it like Jesus. Swear it's gonna have a 'second coming' and all..."

"The bots? You mean robots? _Sentient _robots?"

"Yeah," he smiled, nudging her with his elbow,

"Pretty impressive, huh? Bet they didn't have that back in _your_ time."

"My time," she shook her head, frowning,

"Y'mean 2013?"

Poison straightened at that, a confused look spreading across his face,

"I thought you were..."

"Thought I was what?"

They stared at each other silently a minute. Finally, he cleared his throat and shook his head,

"Anyway...it took months for me to get back in the city after the lock down. Better Living was on the forefront...everyone was downing pills, forgetting their fears...forgetting everything."

"Including your parents?"

Poison sighed, keeping his eyes forward,

"I made a promise to myself that day...that I wouldn't end up like that. That I wouldn't live my life in fear of feeling. I wouldn't lose touch with reality...I'd stay awake. Awake and unafraid..."

He leaned forward a bit, motioning to the gigantic pill on the back of his jacket,

"_'Party Poison'_."

After a minute, he began coughing again, and Clara frowned. Leaning back again, she spotted blood on his lips and straightened,

"Oi, you're really not okay, are you?"

He smiled, quickly wiping it away as he shook his head.

"Are you sick?"

Poison let out a hearty laugh at this, rubbing his eyes sorely,

"That's a _loaded_ statement, sweetheart. You're gonna have to be more specific."

He let out a pained groan. She swallowed hard as he began hacking again,

"You're...dying?"

"Aren't we all," he grinned again, holding his chest as the hacking turned wet.

She sat down across from him, gazing blankly at the dirt as she searched for something, _ANYTHING_ to say. She had nothing.

Shaking her head, Clara looked to him sadly,

"I'm sorry."

"Ah, don't cry for me Argentina," he swallowed, wiping more blood from his nose,

"I made my peace with it a long time ago."

They sat in awkward silence for a moment.

"So...how do you know?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, confused. She cleared her throat, anxiously rubbing at her arm,

"That... _you know_..."

The red head snorted as he stared at her, cracking a small smile,

"That I'm about to croak?"

She shifted uncomfortably; giving a short nod.

With a deep sigh, he pulled back the scarf around his neck, revealing the bright red, splotchy rash that she had seen earlier. Seeing the terrified look in her eye, he readjusted the scarf and covered it back up,

"It's called 'Radio Rash'. Don't worry. It ain't contagious."

"What is it," she asked, idly rubbing at her throat.

"Just a catchy name for radiation poisoning. It's...uh...it's pretty common out here in the Zones. Stay out in the elements too long and _ZAP_...! Radio Rash."

He smirked as he noted the fear on Clara's face,

"Don't worry. No doubt, Doc's box has got some magic _doohickey_ on you to keep you safe."

"Yeah, well," the dark-haired woman slumped, tilting her head to the side,

"Don't tell _her_ that. She might just take it back."

Poison raised an eyebrow at that and she smiled, shaking her head,

"Nothing, nevermind."

They sat in silence again, listening to the wind rustling in the trees for a few moments.

"That medicine...in Battery City...could it cure you?"

Party Poison straightened at that, shrugging as he began to stammer,  
"Pssshhht, I-I don't...I mean, _probably_ they have something, but-"

"Then, we could get some, yeah? Go buy it or steal it or whatever you _do_ out here and save you!"

Silently, he stood, shaking his head as he started away from her. She frowned,

"Why not? It's better than the alternative-!"

"It goes against everything I stand for," he spun on his heel, looking her right in the eye,

"Giving into BLI would mean giving up everything I am and I ain't doin' that."

"But," she shook her head, her eyes beginning to well with tears,

"It's your _life_ we're talking about! You can't just _give up_-!"

"If it's my time, then it's my time," he shot back, cutting her off,

"There's no helping it. That's all there is to it."

He turned and started walking again.

"Aren't you afraid?"

She watched his fists clench at her words and his head bowed low. Turning, he offered her a sad smile and stretched his arms out to either side,

"Well..._yeah. _No one _wants _to die...! But...just because you're afraid of something, doesn't mean you just stop doing what you're doing. You have to _keep running_. No matter what. You can't let fear...or _death_ stop you."

Her lip quivered as he walked back toward her and she shook her head,

"But...all those people you care about? That little girl-?"

A tear slid down her cheek as she trailed off, and he smiled, wiping it away with his finger,

"I made that promise to myself a long time ago. If I went back on it now, that _would_ be the end of me. I'd rather die as the person I am right now, then let them see the zombie I'd become..."

She nodded shortly, wiping at her eyes with a sad smile,

"Well, you're a lot _braver _person than I am."

"No, I-uh," he snorted, shaking his head as gazed down at her,

"I'm _really _not...'sides, you got some _balls_ on ya."

They both laughed.

The sudden sounds of an engine pulling from behind them drew their attention toward the road. Spotting a pair of headlights pulling up, Party Poison cursed and stepped in front of her, gun drawn,

"Stay behind me."

The van came to a whining stop and out stepped the driver, their cerulean eyes wide in shock.

They slowly stepped closer, Poison keeping his gun on him as he approached.

As they came into the light, Poison felt his heart stop.

The man looked just as shocked as he did.

"Poison," he breathed, his voice nearly a whisper on the air.

Party Poison straightened, gaping at the man in surprise,

"_Cola?_"

~ø~

The Doctor groaned as he awoke on a cold, metallic floor. Pushing himself up, he spied Kobra Kid and Jet Star standing stock still as sentries by the door, barracading him from the outside. Slowly, he stood and swallowed hard, easing his way up to them,

"Kobra...Jet...you boys are still in there, aren't you?"

He reached into his coat as he approached, shuffling around for a moment. A look of panic crossed his face.

"Looking for this, _Doctor_?"

He spun to see a bald-headed man at the opposite side of the room. In his grasp, he waved the sonic screwdriver. Pocketing it, he smirked,

"Don't worry...you'll have your trinket back soon enough."

He began to pace the room, the Doctor keeping in tow as they glared each other down,

"So, tell me Doctor. How did you do it? Your little _magic trick_?"

The Doctor smiled, placing his hands behind his back as he strolled,

"Your name's Korse, correct? I think that's what I read. What makes you think I know magic, _Korse_?"

"Party Poison. The angels touched him," Korse stated bluntly,

"He should have been dead, but he's not."

"And how do you know about the angels," the Doctor frowned, an uneasy feeling settling in his hearts.

The Exterminator grinned, tapping the device on the side of his face,

"There's only so much information I can extract from this Cyberlink, Doctor. The Cybermen database is very limited. Especially when it comes down to you and your magic box..."

"It's actually not magic," the Doctor shrugged, scratching at his neck a little,

"More science, really. Kind of one and the same though, just science that hasn't been discovered, yet..."

Korse stared at him blankly. Swallowing hard, the Doctor straightened,

"Not a fan of the cinema, all right-"

"You will tell me what I wish to know, Doctor."

The bald headed man stated, approaching him with a smirk on his face. The Doctor scowled, folding his arms across his chest,

"And what makes you think that?"

He frowned, feeling a set of strong arms wrap around him.

Glancing back, he eyed Kobra Kid and Jet Star holding him firmly in place.

"Well, you see," Korse replied, the Doctor stiffening at the sight of a small, mechanical bug in the bald man's palm,

"It's simple, really. In fact," he smiled, holding the bug next to the Doctor's cheek,

"You could almost say...it's quite _Clever_."

The bug writhed then and latched itself onto the Doctor's cheek.

He let out a horrific yell...


	6. Walk The Dead

**Walk The Dead**

Girl sniffled as she sat next to the console, arms wrapped around her legs. She buried her face in her knees and squeezed her eyes shut. Where was Party Poison? Where was the Doctor? Where was _anyone_? Wiping her nose, she stood and toddled down the hallway. A single door stood before her. It was strange, as she was sure there had been more doors and pathways when she had first stepped inside. Cautiously throwing it open, she smiled as she laid eyes on Fun Ghoul. He was still unconscious, but that didn't matter. At least she wasn't alone, now.

Hurrying to his bedside, she sat down on the edge and looked him over. He was breathing steadily, but was still very pale. She took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. He squeezed back, but did not awaken. Glancing up at the ceiling, she smiled; a tear gliding down her cheek,

"Thank you."

The TARDIS hummed, chiming softly in return.

~ø~

"Poison?"

Poison gaped at him in shock, his hazel eyes wide,

"Cola?"

The ash-haired man smiled, bringing his hands up to his head as he let out a laugh,

"Oh my God, you're alive! Oh my God-"

He started forward, halting as the red head brought his gun up to eye level.

Party Poison narrowed his eyes, keeping his finger on the trigger,

"That's close enough."

"Poison," the man began, shaking his head in disbelief,

"Wha...what's the matter with you? It's _me_!"

"Bullshit, it is."

Clara nervously glanced back and forth between them, a deep frown on her face,

"Party Poison, who is he?"

"Agent Cherri-Cola," the ash-haired man answered for him,

"I'm a friend."

"Yeah, right," Poison snipped, his eyes clouding with tears of rage,

"I ain't buyin' what your sellin' pal, so keep walkin'!"

"Poison-"

"No, don't you '_Poison_' me," the fiery-haired man shouted, his voice beginning to crack,

"You may look like Cola, but you _ain't _him...! Cherri-Cola died three months ago when the Raygun Jones show got popped, so troll a little harder, why don't you-!?"

"What!? I wasn't even _there_, Poison," Cola shouted back, shaking his head,

"I was with Hot Chimp, remember!?"

"No," he snarled, closing his eyes,

"You _couldn't _have been. She was down at Wolfblood Beach-"

"Yeah, with _me_!"

"And why would she have been there with _you_?"

Cherri-Cola rolled his eyes at that,

"Oh, you know, we were just having a spa day. Why the fuck do you _think_!?"

They both went silent. Clara cleared her throat, piping up softly from behind them,

"I'm gonna guess, you _weren't_ having a spa day?"

Poison swallowed hard, waving the gun a bit as he spoke,

"Then, who was that on the radio," he spat, shaking his head,

"The guy with _your _voice at _your_ fucking station, who was that!?"

"Like I know," Cola screamed,

"Last I heard from you, you told me you were gonna cover the Raygun Jones show. Then boom! Raygun Jones is dust and you along with 'em! I thought you were _dead_, Poison!"

"And you didn't come check? _Really_, Cola?"

"I couldn't-"

"Why not?"

Cola bowed his head, his eyes dropping to the floor,

"Because..."

The red head glared at him silently.

His voice grew quiet and he almost sounded ashamed,

"I got-I got in a bad way, okay?"

"A bad way, _how_?"

The man sighed and ran a hand through his greasy hair,

"I'd rather not talk about it."

Party Poison straightened at that, noting the shame in Cola's eyes,

"You went _Rat,_ didn't you?"

They both went silent. Clara took this time to clear her throat and stepped up beside Party Poison,

"I'm not entirely sure what's happening here, but I take it 'going _Rat_' _isn't_ a good thing...?"

"Not everybody can be a saint like you, Poison," Cola quipped, shaking his head as tears filled his eyes,

"I got weak! I thought my best friend was dead! The last thing I wanted...was-"

"-to _feel _anything?"

They stared at each other. Cola nodded shamefully,

"Yeah."

With a snort, Poison started forward, Clara gasping as he slammed his fist into Cola's jaw. Cola tumbled to the dirt, his face on fire as Poison screamed at him,

"I spent the past six years thinking your death was on _me_! _Six. Years. _And not _once_ did I ever think my life would be better if I couldn't feel it, 'cause guess what?"

He pulled the man up by the collar of his vest, glaring him straight in the eyes,

"If I had stopped feeling...if I let myself forget...? That would've meant forgetting _you_ and that's something I could _never _live with."

Cola shook his head at that, a look of confusion flashing across his face,

"_Six years_? What are you talking about?"

The red head froze.

Clara glanced back and forth between them, frowning as a strange sound filled her ears. She turned to look, her eyes widening,

"Y'know, I'd hate to break up this lovely reunion, but I think we have company!"

Glancing over, Poison quickly let Cola loose, tossing him to the ground as a laser shot out from nowhere,

"Get down!"

A white hot laser crashed against the van, miraculously leaving only a burn mark in it's wake. He ran to Clara then, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the vehicle,

"Quick, get in!"

"The van this time, yeah?"

He smirked as he slid open the side door,

"Yeah, the _van_ this time!"

Shutting her in, he then jogged back over to Cherri Cola, who was still pulling himself up and grabbed him by the arm; dragging him to his feet,

"C'mon!"

Clambering into the van, they sped away from the scene, the Cybermen hot on their trail. Poison rolled down his window as they sped off, firing a few shots at them. It did no good. He pulled back inside and turned to Clara, eyes wide in rage,

"You didn't tell me they could fucking use guns!"

She rolled her eyes, gasping as one of the lasers caused a dent to form in the rear doors,

"Oh, sorry. Must've slipped my mind! They can use guns! _Happy, now_!?"

A loud jolt rattled the van again, and he climbed out of the passenger seat and into the back,

"You still got that bazooka back here, Cola?"

"Yeah, it's under the tarp."

Nudging Clara out of the way, Party Poison pulled a long-barrelled bazooka out from under said tarp, and inched his way toward the doors. Sitting flat on the floor, he kicked the doors open, which resulted in them flying off completely. Clara raised an eyebrow,

"Did you mean to do that?"

"Shut up."

Resting the bazooka on his shoulder, he smirked and took aim at the approaching Cybermen,

"Fire in the hole."

The hot pink charge sailed through the air at full speed, colliding with the Cyberman at front within seconds. It exploded upon impact, taking down a few others around it. Clara and Poison laughed as the smoke spiralled upward, and Clara leaned down, looking over his shoulder,

"Do you think that got 'em all?"

They paused for a moment, waiting quietly. A sudden boom sounded, then, and out of the thick smoke, a single Cyberman zoomed up to the back of the van. It grabbed the gun, wrenching it from Poison's hands as it tossed it out of the vehicle. Clara let out a gasp as it suddenly reached back in, grabbing Poison by the ankles. She quickly latched onto him as it tried to pull him out, keeping a firm grip on his hands,

"Party Poison!"

The red head grunted as it pulled hard at his legs. It felt as though they were being ripped from their sockets. He felt Clara's grip beginning to slip, his gloves sliding ever so slightly. She let out a gasp as she lost grip of his right hand, quickly making sure to keep both hands on the left. The Cyberman continued to pull,

"**You will be upgraded...**"

Poison frowned at that, trying to break his legs free of it's grasp. It only generated more pain. He cursed. At this rate, it was going to rip him out of the van, and Clara with him. He paused and glanced up at her. Her hands were wrapped tight on his left glove. His eyes widened,

"Clara, let go!"

She frowned at him, shaking her head,

"Are you crazy!? That thing'll kill you!"

"It's okay!"

"No," she shrieked, keeping her grip firm,

"No, it is _not_ okay! Don't you go thinking this is an easy way out! I am not havin' you die on me any sooner than you have to!"

Cola frowned as he heard those words spill from her mouth and glanced back in the rearview mirror at them. What was that supposed to mean?

With an audible groan, Poison swung his right hand over and unclasped the buckle on his left glove,

"Fine!"

She let out a shriek as it slid off, watching helplessly as he was dragged right out of the van. Crawling to the door frame, she reached for him, her eyes wide,

"Party Poison!"

He seemed to be sailing in slow motion at the Cyberman, his heart rate skyrocketing as it reached for him with it's other hand,

"**You will be upgraded..."**

Swallowing hard, he grinned and grabbed hold of it, pulling himself forward,

"Not today, motherfucker."

He reached up, slamming his hand down on it's chest. It began to spark and seize, seeming to lose control of it's limbs. Falling backwards, the Cyberman landed on it's back and Party Poison, being flung from it's grasp, landed with a thud on the asphalt as he rolled away. The van came screeching to a halt, and Clara quickly jumped out, running passed the downed Cyberman and to the fiery-haired man,

"Party Poison!"

He groaned as he pushed himself up, rolling over onto his back as he coughed. She knelt down beside him, her eyes wide,

"Are you okay!?"

To this, he smirked, and gasped deeply, slightly winded,

"Man...I'm having a rough day..."

Shaking her head, she glanced back at the Cyberman, then back to him,

"H-How? How did you do that?"

With a groan, he sat up, Clara helping him to his feet,

"If you'da let me finish...I would have told you, 'It's okay...I have a _plan_.'"

Holding up his left hand, he waggled his ring finger, on which set a golden ring. Clara smiled, letting out a relieved laugh,

"Your wedding ring..."

The red head smirked at this, saying nothing. Her smile soon turned to a look of rage as she gave him a hard shove in the chest, making him cough,

"THAT WAS THE DUMBEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!"

He took a step back, startled as she continued screaming at him,

"What if it hadn't worked!? What would you have done, then!?"

He snorted, shrugging slightly,

"Died. _Probably_."

A dark scowl crossed her face as she glared him in the eyes,

"That's not funny."

"You know," he shook his head, patting her on the shoulder as he hobbled back toward the van,

"I'm beginning to think you ain't got a sense'a humour..."

Cola hopped down out of the van and jogged toward him, meeting him halfway,

"Holy shit...are you okay!?"

"Yeah, never better, _beautiful_."

Reaching the van, he turned back to him, raising an eyebrow,

"Hey, Cola...you know where Tommy's set up at? I think I got an idea..."

"Yeah, I think he's about 20 minutes from here."

"Then, let's go," he began, climbing inside,

"I got a favour to call in."

~ø~

They arrived about a half an hour later at a run down shack.

Approaching the building, Poison coughed, motioning to the both of them as he tugged at his scarf,

"Follow my lead."

Cola nodded, and the trio proceeded to enter with caution.

Behind the desk, a man, whom reminded Clara very much of the used car salesmans she had only seen ever represented in comedies, stood reading a magazine. He appeared bored.

Party Poison cleared his throat at this point, to which the man looked up and grinned,

"Ah, if it isn't a sight for sore eyes! Party Poison," he straightened, leaning forward on the counter with a grin,

"I'm almost done with your action figure...just need a few more..._measurements_ to make it _perfect_, if ya know what I mean."

Party Poison smirked as he strolled up to the counter,

"Maybe later, Tommy. Right now, I was wondering if you had anything we could use."

Tommy glanced behind him, eying Cherri Cola and Clara in the doorway. He narrowed his eyes at the woman, a scowl on his face,

"Who's she? Your new _Crash Queen _of the month?"

Briefly glancing back at Clara, Poison smiled,

"Why? You jealous?"

An annoyed scowl crossed the salesman's face as he turned back to him and Poison laughed, leaning on the counter,

"Ah, c'mon Tommy...you know there's only room for one _Crash Queen _in my black little heart..."

Tommy's eyes lit up as Poison leaned in closer to him, eying him up and down,

"Oh, yeah...?"

"Yeah," the fiery-haired man whispered, an almost seductive tone in his voice as he gazed into Tommy's eyes. He then cleared his throat and smacked his hand on the table,

"And that's _me._ Now, whaddya got?"

Tommy scowled at that, folding his arms as he stood up straight,

"What did you have in mind?"

Poison smiled, shooting him a wink,

"A couple bazookas would be nice. And some gold if you got any."

"Ain't got any gold," Tommy began with a groan, heading toward the back,

"But I'll see what I can do for you in the blaster depot, just one sec."

The red head smiled as Tommy disappeared, leaning back against the counter as Clara and Cola approached,

"If Tommy can scrounge us up some bazookas we might have a chance at saving Doc. The more firepower we got, the better our chances, right?"

Cola frowned, folding his arms,

"What are those things exactly?"

"Cybermen," he and Clara replied simultaneously.

"Cyber-who?"

"Cybermen," Poison began again, shrugging slightly,  
"Kinda like the Borg. They're a-"

"-cybernetic race," Clara interjected, stepping up beside Poison,

"Hellbent on-"

"-converting the entire population," Poison continued glancing over the counter again,

"Into an-"

"Army of emotionless drones," she finished.

Cola glanced back and forth between them, confusion and terror mixing on his face,

"_Okaaaaaay..._"

Clara then frowned, folding her arms as she glanced up at Poison,

"So, how do you know this Tommy person will give us weapons?"

"Oh, he owes me a few favours..."

"Favours," she raised an eyebrow, eying him up and down,

"What kind of favours?"

Poison turned to her, shooting her a wink as he gave a knowing smirk,

"Well, ain't we just a little Miss Nosy Rosy?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off as Tommy returned from the back room, two large, white rifles in his hands,

"No bazookas, but these rifles pack just as much of a punch. Scored 'em off a couple of Dracs that got lost out here in the Zones."

He set them on the table, quickly slapping Poison's hand as he reached for one,

"Not so fast."

Poison frowned at this, and Tommy sighed, picking at his fingernails with a sly smile,

"We gotta talk prices."

The red head let out a groan at this, rubbing his head sorely,

"C'mon, Tommy. You owe me."

"Owe you for what?"

Clearing his throat, he leaned forward, his voice a low whisper,

"Hyperthrust. 5 months ago. Mad Gear. I showed you a good time, _remember_?"

Tommy smirked at that, eyes travelling downward as he, too, leaned on the counter,

"Oh...how could I _forget_?"

"Well then, what's your problem," he began, biting his lip with a grin,

"How about you give us those guns and we call it even?"

He sighed at that, leaning his cheek on his palm,

"Yeah...but you see, you already called in that favour three months ago when you boys needed that water to take to Gertie's."

Poison groaned, his head bowing low,

"Shit."

"Yeah, _shit_, is right. Now, I know Gertie got zapped and that's a tragedy and all, but a transaction is a transaction, and _you_, my friend, are out of _freebies_."

Poison sighed then, scratching his head with a frown,

"Fine. What is it? Name your price."

Thinking for a moment, the greasy-haired salesman tapped a finger to his lips as he strutted around the counter. He looked to Clara, then Cola, then back to Party Poison. He nodded, eying the bit of sparkle on the man's left hand,

"That ring'll do just nicely."

Clara straightened and stepped toward him, glaring at Tommy in shock,

"Oi! You can't just ask for a thing like that! It's not for-"

"Deal."

She stopped, watching in silence as he slid it off of his finger and slammed it down on the counter.

Swiping it up with a chuckle, Tommy gave it a look over, then went back into the other room,

"Pleasure doing business with you."

As he disappeared into the back, Poison grabbed the rifles, and Clara stepped up to him, a concerned look on her face,

"That was your wedding ring..."

"In case you haven't noticed, _sweetheart_," he coughed, handing one of the guns to her,

"I'm not married anymore."

He pushed passed her then and headed toward the door, breezing by Cola without so much as a glance. Shaking his head, the ash-haired man followed him outside, shouting to him in confusion,

"_Married_? All right, what the fuck is going on here? Since when have you been the type to commit?"

"Since I got _married_, jackass, try to keep up."

"Yeah," Cola began, grabbing Poison by the arm,

"And when was that? I ain't ever seen you with no ladybirds out here-"

"Well, maybe that's 'cause it ain't a lady, you ever thought of that?"

"Oh, so, you and Ghoul got somethin' you need to tell me?"

Poison snorted, nodding shortly,

"Maybe!"

Cola stared at him blankly, to which the red head faltered,

"_No..._"

"Then, who is she, Poison," Cola shouted, shaking his head,

"How long have you been married, and how come I don't know her?"

With a cough, Poison nodded shortly at Clara. Cola turned to her with a frown,

"It's you? You're his wife? I mean...it makes sense, I _guess_-"

"What," she shrieked, shaking her head wildly as she stormed over to the fiery-haired man,

"No! No, no, no, I am not married to _him_! I've got better taste than _that_-"

"Aw, thanks for the compliment there, _peaches_," Party Poison growled, rolling his eyes at her,

"You're real _sweet_."

"I'm not gonna be your cover," she shook her head,

"I don't even know why you'd need one. Bev sounded lovely."

Cola smiled, clapping his hands with a cheer,

"So, her name's Bev?"

Clara nodded, turning to Cola with a smile,  
"Kindergarten teacher."

"Aww," Cola grinned, an almost mocking tone in his voice as he watched the Poison's cheeks turn as red as his hair,

"How _sweet_. Look at you, _ball and chain_! Now, where is little _Mrs. Poison_, I wanna meet her."

"She's dead."

Cola froze at his words, seeing the look of anguish in his eyes. The red-head glared at him, fighting off the tears that threatened to come,

"Happy, now, ass wagon?"

With a harsh cough, he then turned and stormed back toward the van.

Clara sighed and started after him, a sigh escaping her as she stepped up behind him,

"You don't have to be like that, you know."

"Like _what_..."

"You know," she nudged him on the arm, cracking a smile,  
"Such a _killjoy_."

Setting the other rifle down in the van, he turned to Clara with a scowl,

"My wife is an off limits topic of conversation. I told you that...you know, I don't even know _why_ I told you all that, 'cause quite frankly it is _non'ya beeswax_, but what I said, I thought I said in confidence. It ain't for you to talk about...and I thought of allpeopleyou would understand that."

"You act like you're so tough," she said, shaking her head with a deep sigh,

"But deep down, you're afraid. What is it you're so afraid of? Being seen as a human being?"

Licking his lips, he shook his head and turned away, heading to the passenger's side,

"Let's hurry up and get this over with. The faster we save Doc, the faster both of you can get the fuck outta my life."

She closed her eyes and bowed her head shamefully as he slammed the door behind him.

~ø~

"Well, now, what have we got here, ey," he smiled, his purple, tweed coat thumping against him as he paced about the crater in excitement,

"California, 2019. The age of _paranoia_ and _containment_! How exciting! Suppressing emotions and confining the soul, _oh yes_..."

He paused, the twinkling apparatus on his face beginning to whirr as it sorted through file after file of Battery City practices,

"No more feelings...no more _individuality_. Yes, I think I like this place...I think I like this place _very_ much."

~ø~

They had been driving for what felt like hours, now. Party Poison coughed and scratched mindlessly at his neck, gazing out the window,

"How much further till we reach the crater?"

Cola snorted, shaking his head,

"We're not going to the crater."

The red head scowled as he pulled up next to a large, metal structure,

"What do you mean!? We gotta go save Doc."

Clara frowned as she glanced up, her eyes filling with concern as Cola turned the vehicle off.

The ash-haired man shook his head and leaned back,

"I'm not going there. Not with you in this condition."

"What _condition_-"

"You're exhausted," Cola interrupted, keeping his eyes ahead,

"It's written all over you. You need sleep."

"I don't _need_ anything-"

"Shut up."

Throwing open his door, he hopped out and started passed the structure,

"You're getting some rest whether you like it or not. Besides, your _wife_ there needs some food in her."

Party Poison rolled his eyes at that, glancing back at Clara briefly. She offered a smile.

Shaking his head, he climbed out of the van. He briefly slumped against it as his feet touched the earth. It felt as though all of the strength in his body were leaving him. Seeing him like this, Clara quickly clambered out and hurried over to him, eyes wide,

"You okay?"

With a groan, he pushed away from the van and hobbled toward the run down home,

"I'm _fine_."

Following after him, she glanced over at the structure. It looked like a gigantic metal face.

As they stepped inside, Clara coughed, a torrent of dust colliding with her lungs,

"What is this place?"

"The Nest," Cola began, looking around for the light switch,

"Killjoys all over use it as a rest stop."

"Ah, so you're kind of like _squatters_, then?"

Cola smiled as he glanced back at her,

"I see why he likes you."

She stopped at that, a frown striking her as she reached the center of the room.

A sudden whirring sounded and the lights flickered on, Poison emerging from the back,

"Found the fuse box."

Clara turned to him with a laugh,

"Let there be light...!"

He rolled his eyes and walked away from her, heading to where Cola was. She sighed,

"'Kay."

Striding up to him, Poison cleared his throat, folding his arms,

"One hour. Then, we go to the crater."

"Fine with me," Cola said, watching silently as he walked toward one of the other rooms, slamming the door behind him. Turning back to Clara, Cola offered a smile,

"All right. How's about we get you some grub?"

~ø~

Standing with his back to the door, Party Poison tiredly eyed the bed a few feet away. He swallowed hard, and trudged over to it, flinging himself onto it with a sigh. Gazing at the ceiling for a moment, he closed his eyes, the sounds of gunfire and the roar of crashing waves reaching his ears.

_'"Go, go, go!"'_

-ø-

_They leapt from the boat, rushing to the shore as a hail of bullets rained down on them. He barrelled his way through the carnage, diving for a barricade of raised sand. The explosions echoed in his ears, disorienting and loud. He turned over, spotting a younger man a few feet away. _

_He was hiding behind a post of wood and wire._

_ "Benny! Benny, come on!"_

_The younger man swallowed hard, pushing himself up from his spot. He charged forward, until to be shot square in the head. He fell to the ground, lifeless. Eyes wide, he started to rise from his post without thinking, a few of his fellow soldiers holding him back,_

_"No...NO!"_

_**"Michael, sweetheart, wake up!"**_

-ø-

His eyes shot open fast then and he glanced around. No one was there with him. Sighing deeply, he shook his head and rolled over onto his side, burying his face in the pillow.


	7. Another Memory

**Another Memory **

"I can't get the heater working," Cola sighed, coming up from the basement with a pair of blankets,

"Here."

He tossed one to Clara who took it with a smile,

"Thanks."

With a shiver, she pulled it tight around her and followed him into the next room.

"You hungry?"

"_Starving,_" she enthusiastically replied.

They entered the kitchen and he stepped toward the cabinet, opening it with a sigh,

"Well, let's see...you got a choice. Beef and gravy or..."

He set two cans down on the counter in front of her,

"_Chicken _and gravy."

"Is that _dog_ food," she queried as he started the stove, eying the cans curiously.

"No," he smirked, popping them open with a grunt,

"It's _gourmet_ dog food."

She sucked at her teeth with a sigh, sarcasm dripping from her lips,

"Shame. More of a _Fancy Feast_ girl, myself."

Cola snickered at that, smiling to himself as he dumped the cans into a pot,

"Eh, good one...!"

Firing up the broiler, he shook his head,

"So, where'd you come from anyway, Miss-?"

"Oswald," she stated, cringing in disgust as she listened to the gravy pop and bubble in the pot,

"Clara Oswald. I'm from Lancashire."

He frowned, raising an eyebrow as he stirred the contents of the pot,

"So...you're a hobbit, then?"

She frowned at this confused,

"What? No...no, _Lancashire_. It's in _England._"

"I thought it was in _Middle Earth_."

Biting her lip, she heaved a deep sigh and shook her head,

"Never mind."

Cola snickered at that, shaking his head with a grin

"Relax, I'm just fuckin' with you."

"Right," she groaned, strolling back out into the main room,

"Of _course_ you are. Seems that's all anyone's been doing since I got here."

She sat down on the sofa, a cloud of dust puffing up around her. She gagged, coughing sharply as the tiny particles clogged her throat.

"So, how long have you and Poison been together," Cola called from the kitchen.

Clara quickly shook her head, still coughing,

"We're not...together...actually. In fact, I only just met him last night."

"Really," Cola came into the room, two steaming bowls in hand,

"Huh. From the way he was acting I thought you two might be..."

"Might be, what?"

Handing her one of the bowls, he shook his head and sat down in the armchair nearby,

"Nothing...I mean, he was just pretty cozy with you, is all I'm saying."

Clara frowned as she glanced down at the contents of the bowl. Cooked or not, it still looked and smelled like dog food. She turned her eyes back to Cherri Cola,

"Is that unusual?"

"For him," Cola nodded, shovelling a spoonful into his mouth,

"Yeah."

Setting the bowl down on the coffee table, Cola wiped his mouth and continued,

"Poison...he's slow to trust people. I mean, on the surface he'll reach out and everything seems fine, but...it takes _years_ to actually get it. He still doesn't trust _me_ all that much...probably for the best."

"You seem all right to me," Clara smiled.

The ash-haired man smirked at that, bowing his head with a snort. He then turned his gaze back to her, smiling fondly,

"You are _definitely_ his type."

To this, Clara giggled nervously, a bright red blush flooding her cheeks as she dug her spoon into the goop,

"Probably because I remind him of his dead wife."

She took a bite and gagged, immediately spitting it back into the bowl,

"Ugh! That is foul!"

He laughed at that, shaking his head as she wiped her mouth and pushed it away from her.

~ø~

"All right now...where to begin...where to begin!?"

He spun in a circle, tapping his fingers to his temples. After a moment, he snapped his fingers and jabbed a finger to the bald man standing a few feet away,

"Korsey! I want you and your _Vlads_ to take a few cybermites back to Batt City! Introduce them to the populace! Let's get this army going, ey?"

Korse frowned, the apparatus on his face beginning to blink,

"I believe you mean _Dracs,_ sir."

The lanky man halted, frowning thoughtfully,

"Isn't that what I said?"

Striding over, he put an arm around the man and walked him back out of the crater,

"Well, never mind about the semantics, just hop to it. On the double! I want this town converted, A.S.A.P! R.O.F.L! D.F.T.B.A!"

Korse again frowned, and the lanky man groaned, rolling his eyes,

"Just go. Get it done."

With a nod, Korse turned and motioned to a pair of masked men nearby. They left the crater and climbed into a sleek, black car with a disturbing decal of a smiling face on it's door; driving off with a squeal from the tires. He smiled at this, adjusting his bow tie with a chuckle.

_"You can't win, you know that."_

He continued to smile,

"Oh, hate to break it to you, _Doctor..._but I already have_._"

~ø~

_**"Very soon, all of Battery City will be under control of the Cyber Legion..."**_

"Any plans tonight?"

The sentry nodded as his replacement arrived,

"Yep. Thinking of heading down to the Lobby to let off some steam. I hear the new droids are _amazing_."

"The Blue ones? Yeah, they're pretty great. I still prefer the Reds, though."

"Yeah, I hear you. Shame they got discontinued."

"Right?"

The two paused, turning to each other as they heard the strangest sound of metallic rumbling in the distance.

"Do you hear that," one of them queried curiously.

"Yeah, I do."

They both turned to the tunnel and glanced inside, eyes widening beneath their masks as they spotted what looked to be a rush of silverfish flooding toward them.

_**"They'll have no choice, you see. It's either convert...or die."**_

~ø~

_"But you're forgetting something very, VERY important."_

He smirked, placing his hands behind his back as he paced,

"Oh? And what's that? The _ace_ up your sleeve?"

He smirked, chuckling softly,

"You think your dear old friend, _Michael Milligram,_ can still save you? He can't even save _himself_! The poor bastard's got one foot in the grave and the other is steadily losing ground! You and I _both_ know that, so what do you possibly think he can still do?"

_"He's a lot stronger than you give him credit for."_

"Oh, is he, now," he folded his arms, gazing up at the starless, night sky,

"Because you know what I think? I think...you're just feeling a pang of guilt. Wanna build him up like he actually _means_ something because you know, you _know_, how it's all gonna end. How insignificant his existence _really_ is...! You know it's quite tragic, Doctor. How you've built him up to feel so special, all the while knowing it's all gonna end with his brain looking like a bad, _t__eriyaki stir fry_..."

The voice in his head went silent and he smirked, bringing his arms out to the side,

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

With a deep breath, he turned back for the satellite, heading inside,

"Stop kidding yourself. Your precious _Party Poison_ isn't coming back to save you. In fact, he's probably got off with your _Impossible Girl_ and run off into the sunset! They're such a perfect match, you know...what with the inevitably _tragic_ fate that lies ahead of them."

_"Stop it."_

"Oh, did I touch a nerve," he grinned, beginning to snicker,

"_Sorry_. Just-Just answer me this, _Doctor_, just one thing...? How long _do_ you plan on keeping them in the dark? Why, knowing when and how they are going to die, or rather, _how many times,_ must be awfully exhausting to keep secret..."

He received no reply. With a giggle, he twirled around, the apparatus on his face beginning to whirr again,

"Nothing to say? _Still_? I expected as much. Secrets are the only thing you know how to _keep_ anymore, anyway... why just ask _Donna Noble_."

He snickered again, pulling at his coat with a smug smile,

"Oh, that's right...you _can't._"

Stepping up to the burnt console, he placed his hands upon the controls and smiled, watching it flicker to life,

"Well, then...let's see, now. What fun can we have here?

The console whirred to life...

~ø~

"Well," Cola began, tossing the bowls into the sink,

"Hour's up. Guess it's time."

Clara nodded, following him to the room Poison had gone into,

"Gotta wake his _Majesty_..."

He snickered at that.

Opening the door, Clara gasped softly. Cola straightened, rushing quickly to the bed,

"Poison!?"

He was white as a sheet, the dark circles around his eyes making them seem sunken. Blood trickled from his nose and lips. Was he breathing?

Clara covered her mouth as she watched Cola check for his pulse, swallowing hard as she began to shake,

"I-Is he...?"

Leaning down over his mouth, Cola listened for a moment, letting out a sigh of relief,

"He's breathing, but his pulse is weak. And he's burning up."

Grabbing his face with one hand, he gently patted at his cheek with the other,

"Poison? Poison, c'mon, wake up!"

Stepping closer, Clara could see that his fist was wrapped tightly around the wooden rosary that dangled from his wrist. Shaking him more forcefully, now, Cola grit his teeth; cursing as he eyed the bright red rash lurking beneath Poison's scarf,

"Is that...is that what I think it is?"

He turned to Clara, his eyes beginning to tear up,

"Did Poison say anything about this?"

The dark-haired woman nodded shortly.

His heart began to race,

"Did he tell you what it was?"

She nodded again,

"He said it was somethin' called...Radio Rash."

Letting out a soft curse, Cola stood up from the bedside and paced to the other side of the room, running his hands through his hair. He breathed loudly, in and out through the nose, as he shook his head,

"_Dammit_...God fucking _dammit_..."

Clara stepped over to the bed, then, and placed her hand on Poison's head. His skin felt clammy and hot. Cola ruffled his hair angrily, turning to her with a shout,

"No wonder he was acting so damn tired. He's here dying but was he gonna tell _me_ that, _no_-"

She swallowed hard, beginning to stammer,

"I-I don't think that matters right now-"

"Of course...of-fucking-course, he tells _you, _some _stranger_, but he can't even tell his best friend-"

"You weren't around," she shouted, bolting to her feet,

"And from what I heard you haven't _been _around, so don't start gettin' pissy with me, _you_! And I hardly see how it matters, right now, _anyway_!"

The ash-haired man turned to the window and bowed his head as she continued,

"We have to help him! Wake him up, do _somethin'_! We can't just stand here and let him die like this!"

"Well, what do you suggest," he snapped, turning to her with his fists on his hips,

"Because I've got nothin'!"

"Water, first of all," she stated sharply, folding her arms,

"Go get some. And a rag. We have to bring his fever down."

He stared at her a minute, causing her to shout,

"_Now_!"

Promptly, he ran from the room, and Clara sat back down on the bed.

With a sigh, she pressed her hand back to his head, brushing sweat-ridden strand of hair from his face,

"Oi, you. Hang in there, okay? You're not dyin' on me, yet...do you hear me?"

His hand twitched as she touched his arm, tightening around the rosary in his grasp...

~ø~

_**"You made me love you..."**_

_ -ø-_

_ They were surrounded by a room full of people in fine church clothes. Standing in front of him, she smiled and held out her hand,_

_"C'mon...!"_

_He swallowed hard and took it, letting her lead him to the dance floor. She draped her arms around his neck, the white veil on her head sparkling in the overhead lights._

_** "I didn't wanna do it, I didn't wanna do it..."**_

_"You know I'm not the type for this sort'a thing," he coughed, glancing around nervously._

_"Yeah, well, too bad," she smiled, running her fingers through his hair,_

_"The first dance always goes to the bride and groom...besides, they'd never let us leave if we didn't."_

_"Oh," he smirked, whispering softly into her ear,_

_"And where did you have in mind, __**Mrs. Milligram**__?"_

_ "Anywhere but here," she purred, her eyes dancing as she gazed up at him,_

_"I just want you alone."_

_"How about the back of a jeep?"_

_She snorted at that, letting out a loud cackle as he dipped her backward._

_** "You made me want you. And all the time you knew it, I guess you always knew it..."**_

_After their dance, the pair snuck into the hall and glanced back at the festivities. Grabbing his hand, she giggled and dragged him toward the exit,_

_"C'mon, before they catch us!"_

_He smirked as they raced to the car, glancing over at her as they quickly got in,_

_"You think they'll notice that we left our own reception?"_

_ She smiled, inching closer to him with a throaty laugh,_

_"Oh, __**Mr. Milligram**__...I think they expect it."_

_**"Give me, give me what I cry for..."**_

_ Climbing on top of him, she giggled as his eyes widened, and leaned down; brushing her lips to his. He smiled, running his hands up her thighs. The kiss broke as she popped his shirt open, and she bit her lip, trailing her fingers down his chest and toward his pants. This made his heart race and he snorted, gazing deeply into her eyes as a stupid grin crossed his face,_

_"You know...this is gonna make it awfully hard for me to drive, ma'am."_

_**"You know you got the brand o' kisses, that I'd die for..."**_

_ Unfastening his belt, she giggled and whipped it off of him, pushing him back against his seat,_

_"Who said anything about driving?"_

_She leaned down to nibble at his ear and he growled playfully, holding onto her tightly as he closed his eyes,_

_"Mmm, __**Mrs. Milligram**__...you __**are **__a naughty girl..."_

_ Hearing something strange outside, he opened them again and glanced over her shoulder. There, standing by the church, stood a stone angel. It gazed at them silently, a malicious smile on it's carved face. He gripped her tighter, his focus remaining on the angel. If he took his eyes off of it...even for a second..._

**'"We're not coming."**

**"What? Why not!?"'**

_His nostrils flared. His breathing; rapid. The angel seemed to be growing closer, even though he was staring right at it. The world around him began to blur and twist. The grinding of gravel drowned everything out, even the delightful sound of her softly sighing in his ear._

**'"Michael, please...if you love me, you'll go."**

**"I...I don't wanna live without you."'**

_She shifted at this point, coming around to look at him. As their gazes met, he stiffened, watching her doe brown eyes solidify into stone._

_**"You know you made me love you..."**_

-ø-

Feeling something cold and wet on his cheek, Party Poison groaned, and weakly pulled away from it. He could hear someone shouting in the distance. A woman's voice.

_"Oi! I think he's coming to!"_

His eyes fluttered open and he frowned. Everything was hazy; hazy and hot. It hurt to keep them open, but he did so anyway. Because that voice..._that voice_.

She came back into his line of sight, her familiar, doe brown eyes as warm and inviting as he remembered.

_ "Can you hear me?"_

She was here. She was actually here.

And wearing that powder blue dress that he liked so much.

He felt himself begin to smile, tears filling his eyes. Feeling her hand on his cheek, he weakly grabbed for it.

She smiled in return He couldn't believe it.

Swallowing hard, he struggled to summon his voice,

"Bev...?"

~ø~

"Bev...?"

Clara's smile fell as the name left his lips. Her face felt hot. She wasn't even sure why.  
Had she thought he was smiling at her?

Cola came rushing into the room, nodding to her as he hurried to the bed,

"Help me get him up. We're about to have company."

Clara frowned as she turned to the window, her eyes widening as she spotted the small army marching toward the building. Quickly, she hopped to her feet, allowing Cherri Cola to pull Party Poison to his feet. He stood straight for a brief moment, his eyes narrowed as he scowled at them.

Clara swallowed hard as she reached the door,

"Can he even _walk_?"

The ash-haired man glanced over just in time to see Poison's eyes roll back into his head. He hit the floor with a loud thud, to which Cola swallowed hard,

"Nope."

~ø~

Quickly carrying him to the van, Cola laid him in the back and nodded to Clara,

"Keep an eye on him!"

Frowning, she shook her head and climbed into the back with him,

"Why? What's he gonna do? Get up and start _dancing_!?"

Hopping into the driver's seat, Cola peeled away from the metal structure; leaving the Nest in a dust cloud.

Glancing in the rear view mirror, he cursed,

"Grab a gun. They're coming fast."

Nodding shortly, she took one of the white rifles and crawled closer to the doors. Propped on her knees, she took aim, spotting a Cyberman approaching. She fired a shot, missing it by a mile. Cocking it quickly, she fired another round. Again, she missed. Her eyes widened. It was coming up too fast.

Seeing this in the mirror, Cola quickly turned off road, swerving to try and lose it. The jolt caused Clara to lose her balance and she shrieked. She began falling forward with nothing to catch herself on. She was falling, head first, toward dust and gravel speeding passed at 90 mph. It hit her then, that she was going to die...or at least be proper mangled to a point that she wished she was dead.

Her heart stopped.

"_Clara!_"

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her back in. Glancing up, she laid eyes on Party Poison. He grabbed the rifle weakly, but did not pry it from her hands; instead, helping her to aim,

"Shoot."

Nodding, she pulled the trigger, hearing him grunt as the kick knocked her against him. The charge struck the Cyberman square in the chest. It began to spark, falling to the ground in a crumpled heap. Another one began to race toward them, and quickly, he cocked the gun for her, adjusting her shot,

"Again."

Taking the shot, the charge collided with this one's head, blowing it clear from it's shoulders.

They continued this process until there were none left; leaving the rifle's battery completely drained. Sitting back, Clara panted breathlessly, her heart pounding so hard she was sure it was about to erupt from her chest,

"That was close..."

Pulling away from her, Party Poison sat back against the wall as a coughing fit struck him. She spun around at the sound and quickly set the rifle down,

"Oi...oi! Party Poison!"

Catching him as he began to slump over , she held onto his face, keeping him upright,

"Party Poison! Hey! Look at me! Keep your eyes open! Hey!"

His fever was spiking again. She could feel it through his bandana, still tied around her palm.

He weakly grabbed her hand, covering his mouth with his other as the hacking continued.

It ended in a wet gag and he quickly pulled it away from his mouth, keeping it in a fist,

"I'm fine..."

She bit her lip as he wiped the blood leaking from his nose with the back of his hand. His breathing was ragged, akin to a sharp wheeze. Sighing, she wiped his mouth with the bandana and he paused, looking to her sheepishly. She offered him a sympathetic smile,

"Missed a spot."

He snorted at that, his lip twitching into a half grin,

"Thanks..."

They gazed silently at each other for a moment, Party Poison finally breaking eye contact as he turned and weakly crawled to the passenger's seat,

"How far are we from the crater?"

Clara bowed her head, a tear escaping her as she squeezed her eyes shut. Quickly wiping them, she scooted closer to the front, listening in on their conversation.

Cola snorted, glancing over at him in disbelief,

"You can't be fucking serious."

"Sure I am," Poison grunted as he climbed into the seat and leaned back against the head rest, rolling his head to look over at him,

"I ain't dead yet, _son_. Let's do this...!"

"Yeah, only because of _Clara_," he snapped, slamming on the break,

"If it hadn't been for her, you would have died back there!"

Poison glanced back at her, to which she quickly lowered her gaze.

With a snort, Cherri Cola shook his head, slapping the wheel in rage,  
"Not that it matters much in the long run, I mean you're gonna die anyway, right!?"

The red head inhaled deeply and let out a groan,

"Cola-"

"No, Poison," the ash-haired man shouted, tears in his eyes,

"_Radio Rash_!? You've got Radio Rash and you didn't even bother to fucking tell me!?"

"Well, it's a damn shame you were too busy _poppin' pills and sunbathing,_" the fiery-haired man snipped,

"Or maybe I fuckin' would have!"

They both silenced.

Cola squeezed his eyes shut, exhaling slowly,

"Do the guys know?"

"Yeah."

"And Girl?"

Party Poison froze, shaking his head as he coughed shortly,

"No. And it's gonna _stay_ that way."

"So," Cola snorted, a sorrowful tone in his voice as he looked over at his ailing friend,

"She's just gonna get up one day, wanting to go for a joyride and what? Find you dead? No explanation? No reason? Just dust?"

"No," he cleared his throat, pulling at the scarf around his neck,

"I-uh...it won't be like that."

"Then, _how_?"

Party Poison turned, staring up at him blankly.

Cola straightened at this, his eyes wide,

"You're gonna run off...?"

Clara looked at him in surprise as he nodded, her heart dropping sadly.

"I don't believe you," he smirked, shaking his head in disapproval,

"You are fucking _incredible_-"

"Well, what do you want me do, Cola," Poison snapped, his hazel eyes become glassy,

"Let her wake up to my _maggot-ridden _corpse!? I could never do that to her!"

"Well, then, after you leave," Cola shouted back, glaring at Poison through his tears,

"Then, what? She's gonna come lookin' for you-"

"I taped," he cleared his throat, wiping his nose as it began to bleed again,

"A bunch of messages. Gave 'em to D. Told him to call her periodically and play one for her. She won't ever have to know."

"That's-"

"Not fair," Clara cut Cherri Cola short, her eyes beginning to tear up as she grew angry,

"That's not fair, you can't do that to her!"

"I can," he choked, clearing his throat again as a hard lump began to develop,

"And I _am_, girly. It's better off this way..."

He turned back to the window, wiping his eyes as he coughed,

"Now, can we get going, _please_. I'm done talking about this."

Sighing deeply, Cherri Cola started the car again, and began down the road.

Clara leaned closer to Party Poison, her voice a soft whisper,

"You can't just disappear from her life, it's not right-!"

"I said, 'I'm done. Talking.'"

He sighed as he turned to the rolled down window, feeling the cold, night air blast against his hot skin.

Biting her lip, she nodded shortly and pulled away from him, sitting back against the side,

"Fine. Be a coward. Break her heart. Whatever you want...that's _your _problem."

They arrived at the crater a few minutes later, Clara sighing deeply as she grabbed the remaining rifle and climbed out. Grabbing the bazooka, Cola nodded to the two of them,

"Ready or not..."

Poison grunted as he climbed out of the passenger's side, slamming the door weakly behind him.

Spotting Clara, he called after her, leaning against the van for support,

"Hey. Wait a sec."

She turned as he hobbled toward her, his movements twitchy and awkward.

"Listen," he began, clearing his throat softly,

"I know...you think I'm a piece of shit, right now, believe me...I've been feeling that way about myself for ages-"

Clara shook her head at that,

"I never said-"

"You didn't have to," he laughed, scratching at his neck,

"Your eyes did all the talking for you."

She didn't smile.

Clearing his throat, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out, looking her square in the eye,

"Listen, before this all goes down...there's something I want you to do for me."

She straightened, eying the object in his hand suspiciously.


End file.
